Hot Off Wire: Jordan en route to Internet domain in Arabic; Israel lifts ban on iPads; SAP to buy German firm

Posted Apr. 25, 2010 at 12:33 p.m.

Hot Off Wire: Jordan en route to Internet domain in Arabic; Israel lifts ban on iPads; SAP to buy German firm

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A roundup of the latest high-tech news “Hot Off the Wire” from The Associated Press:

• ICANN gives preliminary OK to Jordan domain in Arabic

NEW YORK — Jordan is the latest country to win preliminary approval for Internet addresses written entirely in its native script.
Until recently, Internet domain names such as those that end in ".com" have been limited to Latin characters, numerals and the hyphen.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, known as ICANN, oversees domain names and is in the process of expanding the permitted characters. Jordan's suffix would be in Arabic.

ICANN already has given preliminary approval to suffixes for eight countries and two territories and launched technical reviews for two others - China and Taiwan. Final approval is expected so that usage of these suffixes could begin as early as this summer.

A chart on ICANN’s suffixes under review can be found here.

• Israel ends ban on iPad

JERUSALEM — Israel on Sunday lifted a ban on Apple Inc.'s popular iPad tablet computer, ending restrictions that had been imposed over concerns the gadget's wireless signal could disrupt other devices.

Communications Ministry officials conducted "intensive technical scrutiny in a controlled laboratory" before deciding to allow the iPad into the country, said Yechiel Shabi, a ministry spokesman.
Israel announced the ban shortly after the iPad's April 3 launch in the U.S. Officials said at least 10 of the flat, touchscreen computers were seized at the country's international airport. Shabi said owners of the confiscated iPads would be permitted to retrieve them.

Israeli standards mirror those of many European nations, but Israel has been the only country to ban iPad imports ahead of the product's international release. Apple has delayed the launch until late May, citing heavy sales in the U.S.

The iPad combines the features of a notebook computer with the touch-pad functions of the iPod.

The ban prompted grumbling from Israeli tech enthusiasts and software developers in a country that is widely considered to be a technology powerhouse.

Shabi said the Communications Ministry quickly reached out to Apple to seek more information about the machine's wireless signals.

"Of course, in the mainstream media, it was bad PR and we didn't like this," Shabi said. "But we said we would test it and it took us a week. I think that is very fast

• SAP to buy regulatory software maker TechniData

NEW YORK — German business software maker SAP AG is acquiring TechniData AG, a longtime strategic partner that makes software to help companies comply with environmental, health and safety regulations.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to be completed early in the third quarter.

TechniData, based in Markdorf, Germany, employs nearly 500 people and had revenue of 64.9 million euros ($87 million) in fiscal 2008.

SAP said the acquisition will expand its ability to support customers and partners in the environmental, health and safety field.

Tags: Hot Off the Wire, Apple

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