In less than a week, more than 800,000 Indians have sent emails to India's telecom regulator, demanding a free and fair internet.

India’s fight for net neutrality

A battle that could decide the future of the internet in India is being fought online, between telecom users and operators.

Activists set up websites like netneutrality.in and savetheinternet.in. A video on net neutrality by a leading comedy group went viral, in much the same way that British comedian John Oliver's show on net neutrality changed the debate in the US last June, and flooded the US regulator with user support for net neutrality.
Also, some leading companies, including the media behemoth Times Group, have pulled out of Facebook's Internet.org initiative, fearing it threatens the principle of "net neutrality".
Net neutrality means service providers should treat all traffic equally. Users should be able to access all websites at the same speed and cost.
In India, the trigger was a 117-page paper published by the regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), titled Consultation Paper on Regulatory Framework for Over-the-top (OTT) services.
Over-the-top services include apps like Skype or WhatsApp that ride on top of telecom operators' networks.

Backlash

Users do pay data charges to access them, but they may eat into operator revenue, such as when users make free Skype calls instead of paying the operator much more for a long-distance call.
The paper followed an attempt by leading operator Airtel last December to charge extra for internet calls. A user backlash followed, and Airtel withdrew the plan.
Activists focused on Airtel Zero, a platform that allows customers to access mobile applications for free, with the internet data charges being paid by the companies owning the application.
This is called "zero rating", and operators call it toll-free data. The data charges are paid by the app vendor.

Android apps to run on Windows, Macs and Linux

Called Arc Welder, the tool acts as a wrapper around Android apps so they can run on Windows, OSX and Linux machines.
The software expands the places that Android apps can run and might make it easier for developers to get code working on different machines.
But one developer said it was better to write apps that run "natively" rather than via separate software.
Google has released a tool that lets Android apps run on any machine that can run its Chrome browser

Native code

Arc - the App Runtime for Chrome - was first released in late 2014 as a way for Android apps to run on machines running Google's Chrome operating system. The OS is used on many netbooks and other small machines made by Google and some of its hardware partners.
Now Google has produced a new tool, called Arc Welder, which converts Android apps into versions that can be used with the Chrome browser, not just the OS. With Welder it has also added support for many Google Play services so when apps are converted they do not lose access to payment systems, maps and other functions they expect.
In its developer documentation, Google said the underlying technology for Arc Welder meant converted apps should run almost as quickly as they did on a phone or tablet.

With Arc Welder Google, it is seeking a way to help developers get their creations onto as many machines as possible, but one developer was not sure it would accomplish that aim.

"The best way to make apps by far is to make them natively using the tools that they give us," said Sam Furr, director and co-founder of development studio The App Developers.
He said that moving away from those well-known development systems can mean losing some behaviours, such as touch combinations, that people expect. He also wondered if a converted app running via a browser sitting in a separate operating system would be as fast as one developed natively.
Running a phone app on a desktop would inevitably mean losing some functions, he said, because bigger computers lack some of the extras, such as accelerometers and GPS receivers, that are now standard on smartphones.
Mr Furr said the ability to reach lots of different operating systems with just one app was potentially attractive.
"When building an app you want to get it to as many people as possible but you have to ask how long it will take to get it on other platforms," he said.
"There's no shortage of cross-platform frameworks and some of them are very good," he said, "but in our experience you do not get the same end product as you would when you build it natively."

Google announces budget-priced Chromebits and Chromebooks

 Google announces budget-priced Chromebits and Chromebooks

The range includes a new type of device called the Chromebit, which looks like an oversized memory stick, and turns monitors and TVs into computers when plugged into their HDMI ports.
The tech firm also revealed the cheapest Chromebook laptops to date, costing $149 (£101).
The move is likely to intensify competition with Microsoft.
The announcements came less than a day after Microsoft revealed plans to sell a new entry-level tablet-laptop hybrid of its own.
Its Surface 3 costs more -$499, and £419 in the UK for the basic model - but provides access to a wider range of software made for the Windows platform.
"This is a booming sector of the market at the moment," commented Chris Green, a tech analyst at the Davies Murphy Group consultancy.
"With the falling cost of hardware, schools are looking to families to equip kids with their own computers - the idea of BYOD [bring your own device to class].
"This has prompted manufacturers to create low-cost entry-level laptops that parents then buy for their children as well as themselves."
Google has pledged not to display ads to children that use the education-related software it provides for its Chrome platform, and does not charge manufactures to use its operating system.

Microsoft's Surface 3 costs more but can be used with a touchscreen pen and run Windows software

But one expert said the company still hoped to financially benefit in the long-term.
"The key goal here for both Google and Microsoft is to put their brand and services out there in front of kids to build loyalty at a very early age," said Ronan de Renesse, a consumer technology expert at the Ovum consultancy.
"It's also a good way to to see whether or not to extend these types of devices to emerging markets, where they could be used outside education by people with very low disposable incomes."
For now, Google says the new Chromebooks and Chromebits will be limited to the US.
"We hope to make these widely available in the future, however we have nothing more to announce at this time," said a spokeswoman.

Stick computers

Chrome OS runs web-based software via the firm's Chrome browser and recently gained the ability to run a limited number of Android apps . The platform is designed to store most of its users' files in the cloud.
More than five million Chromebooks and Chromebase desktops were sold across the world last year, according to market research firm Gartner.
It forecasts that figure will grow to close to eight million units this year, and 16 million in 2018.
The Chromebits will be made by the Taiwanese manufacturer Asus.
Google said they would cost "less than $100" and go on sale before the end of the year.
The search firm has already had success with the Chromecast, a media streaming dongle with a similar form factor.
In recent months both Intel and Hannspree have launched Windows-powered "PC-on-a-sticks", albeit at a slightly higher cost.
Such devices require their owners to provide displays, keyboards and other peripherals, but the idea is that many people will already own them.

Great expectations

 

The two new laptops have already gone on sale.
The Haier Chromebook 11 is exclusive to Amazon while the Hisense Chromebook is being sold via Walmart.com.
Both feature an 11.6in (29.5cm) screen and between 8.5 to 10 hours of battery life, but keep their costs low by restricting themselves to 16 gigabytes of storage and 2GB of RAM.
Google also announced a slightly higher priced model, the Asus Chromebook Flip, whose touchscreen can be turned around. It will cost $249 when it goes on sale.
"The [ultra low-cost] sector is still a relatively small part of the entire PC market, but is growing fast, so is important," commented Mr de Renesse.
"What's key is to offer some of the lowest prices. But that has to be balanced against the fact that the US is a market with very high consumer expectation, even within schools."