Hasta La Gadget!

Back in 2010 the government in Saudi Arabia threatened to institute a ban against BlackBerry services for not complying with rules in the country have new do with the ability to monitor communications. BlackBerry was forced to work very hard to avoid being banned within Saudi Arabia. Officials in Saudi Arabia are now threatening to ban some major VoIP applications.

The reason the new ban is being considered has to do with the Skype, WhatsApp, and Viber VoIP applications not complying with rules within Saudi Arabia that allow for the monitoring of phone calls. Strangely, while the Saudi Arabia and Communications and Information Technology Commission has said that it will take “appropriate action regarding these applications” it hasn’t said specifically which conditions the applications are failing to meet. Reports have indicated that the problem the Saudi Arabia government has is that it’s unable to monitor communications made using those apps.

CNN reported that the threats likely stem from the fact that last week political protests were organized using WhatsApp. This sort of political demonstration is against the law in Saudi Arabia. When the government in Saudi Arabia took offense to communications made using the BlackBerry network, the problem was that the encryption used prevented the government from monitoring the communications channel.

The Saudi Arabian government said that the inability to monitor the channel meant that it could be used to threaten national security. At this time, all three of the apps in question remain available according to reports from within Saudi Arabia.

[via CNET]

Saudi Arabia eyes ban on Skype, WhatsApp, Viber is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Most of the world is aware that Saudi Arabia is not exactly the most liberal of countries, mainly because there is no separation between religion and the state. Having said that, there are some rules in that particular country that would have folks living in far more liberal thinking countries wonder how did folks manage to put up with all of those restrictions for so long. Well, the latest bit of information to roll out from Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission is this – select Internet applications such as Skype as well as WhatsApp have failed to comply with regulatory requirements.

According to the state-owned Saudi Press Agency, the local services companies were informed that they are required to communicate with international application providers including Skype, WhatsApp and Viber to make sure that their offerings will soon comply with Saudi regulations. ‘Discipline’ will of course, be meted out in the event any service provider do not meet those requirements down the road.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Skype For Windows 8 Updated To Version 1.6, IBM Roadrunner Hits The End Of The Road,

Civil liberty advocates have had access to Google’s Transparency Report and a handful of equivalents to understand just how frequently governments want our data. But what if we spend most of our time in Outlook.com, Skype or Xbox Live? Microsoft wants to show that it’s equally concerned, and it’s accordingly publishing its first-ever Law Enforcement Requests Report to reveal just how much attention the police gave to our information in 2012. The gist? While there were 75,378 international requests, 99 percent of the 1,558 actual content disclosures went straight to American agencies — thankfully, with court warrants. Microsoft did get its fair share of FBI National Security Letter requests, although those may be short-lived. Different Microsoft services also received different levels of attention: Skype handed over certain account details but no actual content, while enterprise users were virtually untouched from Microsoft’s position. The company plans to keep publishing these reports in the future, which should give us a better long-term sense of just how we’re put under the microscope.

Filed under: Internet, Microsoft

Comments

Via: Official Microsoft Blog

Source: Microsoft

The newly Microsoft-bought Skype video-chat service has received an update for Windows Phone 8. Users will now be able to call their loved ones and stream over high definition video, so make sure your hair looks good and you have your best smile on. The app also received People Hub integration, meaning that all of your Skype contacts will be available in the Windows Phone People Hub.

This marks the first time that Skype has enabled HD video chatting in its smartphone app, and it’s compatible with any new Windows Phone 8 device that supports HD video recording, like the Nokia Lumia 920, HTC 8X, and the Samsung Ativ S. On devices that don’t support HD video, Skype will automatically use VGA video instead.

The app will also automatically set the video quality based on the speed of your WiFi or data connection, and Skype callers can use either the front-facing or rear-facing cameras, as well as switch between portrait and landscape mode for both cameras. Overall, the addition of HD quality should make calls a lot more pleasant.

The People Hub integration also makes it easier to start a Skype call with someone. All your Skype contacts will automatically be added to the People Hub on your Windows Phone device, that way you can start up a Skype call without having to open up the app in the first place. You can also switch between user accounts for Skype calls.

Skype for Windows Phone 8 updates with HD video is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

You can’t completely pigeonhole Skype when it serves both as a partial substitute for traditional phone service and an instant messaging service with voice and video on top. Unfortunately, French telecom regulator ARCEP doesn’t trade in ambiguities. It’s launching an investigation into Skype after the Microsoft-owned division reportedly ignored requests to register itself as a telecom provider in the country. The authority is concerned that Skype is offering phone service without following local laws, including requirements to offer emergency calls and avenues for legal wiretaps. We’ve reached out to Skype for its side of the story, although there’s no certainty that ARCEP will have to take action, regardless — Skype has long disclaimed that it’s not a full phone replacement and won’t work for true emergencies. If France asks for compliance, however, Skype may have to either solve a seemingly unsolvable problem or face withdrawing at least some of its services. We wouldn’t count on always having VoIP in Versailles.

Update: A Skype spokesperson answered back, and the company’s view is clear: it doesn’t believe that its service fits the definition of a communication provider under French law and thus doesn’t have to be registered. Skype adds that it’s been talking with ARCEP and plans to keep that up in a “constructive” fashion, although there clearly hasn’t been much progress on that front. Read the full response after the break.

[Image credit: Alexandre Vialle, Flickr]

Filed under: Internet, Microsoft

Comments

Via: New York Times

Source: ARCEP (translated)