Middle East

Mobile applications are one of the fastest-growing segments of the high-tech economy, with some analysts estimating an $11 billion industry by 2014. A report by the Yankee Group projects that U.S. consumers this year will spend $1.6 billion downloading apps that make mobile devices more fun or useful.

But Americans and Canadians are paying a premium for that luxury. A study released Wednesday found that, on average, users in the U.S. and Canada pay more than five times more for apps than users in other parts of the world, accounting for 50 percent of global app revenue.

Google Inc.'s CEO said Wednesday the Internet search company is in active negotiations with the Chinese government and expects some resolution in its dispute with Beijing soon.

Speaking at a media conference in the Middle East, Eric Schmidt declined to provide specifics or predict how long the discussions would last, saying that the company has decided not to publicize details of the talks.

Shadi Hamid and Steven Brooke in Policy Review:

Nokia launched a new family of devices Tuesday, called the C series. The company said the new series is the "core of the Nokia portfolio" and the devices -- including the first one, the C5 -- will be "optimized for social networking and sharing."

Optimization means the C5 helps the user maintain a continual connection with his or her social circle. This includes direct access to the user's favorite contacts right on the home screen, Facebook status updates visible on the phone, and easy access to social-networking sites.

Four Families of Devices

Nokia launched a new family of devices Tuesday -- the C series. The company said the new series is the "core of the Nokia portfolio" and the devices -- including the first one, the C5 -- will be "optimized for social networking and sharing."

Optimization means the C5 helps the user maintain a continual connection with his or her social circle. This includes direct access to the user's favorite contacts right on the home screen, Facebook status updates visible on the phone, and easy access to social-networking sites.

Four Families of Devices

Nokia launched a new family of devices Tuesday, called the C series. The company said the new series is the "core of the Nokia portfolio" and the devices -- including the first one, the C5 -- will be "optimized for social networking and sharing."

Optimization means the C5 helps the user maintain a continual connection with his or her social circle. This includes direct access to the user's favorite contacts right on the home screen, Facebook status updates visible on the phone, and easy access to social-networking sites.

Four Families of Devices

In recent weeks, Google has made much of its problems with China. But it turns out the company has a much bigger problem with Italy.

In what Google called an "astonishing decision," an Italian court convicted three Google executives of privacy invasion for a 2006 video of Italian teenagers taunting and abusing a boy with Downs syndrome. They were acquitted of defamation charges.

by Manisha Verma

Last December I went on a trip to Doha - the city I had spent many year

From The New York Times: