About HP Company

Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ) or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, software, solutions and services to individual consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and large enterprises, including customers in the government, health and education sectors.

The company was founded in a one-car garage in Palo Alto by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. Currently, HP is the world's leading PC manufacturer, operating in nearly every country. It specializes in developing and manufacturing computing, data storage, and networking hardware, designing software and delivering services. Major product lines include personal computing devices, enterprise, and industry standard servers, related storage devices, networking products, software and a diverse range of printers, and other imaging products. HP markets its products to households, small- to medium-sized businesses and enterprises directly as well as via online distribution, consumer-electronics and office-supply retailers, software partners and major technology vendors. HP also has strong services and consulting business around its products and partner products.

Major company changes include a spin-off of part of its business as Agilent Technologies in 1999, its merger with Compaq in 2002, and the acquisition of EDS in 2008, which led to combined revenues of $118.4 billion in 2008 and a Fortune 500 ranking of 9 in 2009. In November 2009, HP announced the acquisition of 3Com; with the deal closing on April 12, 2010. On April 28, 2010, HP announced the buyout of Palm for $1.2 billion. On September 2, 2010, won its bidding war for 3PAR with a $33 a share offer ($2.07 billion) which Dell declined to match.

Hewlett-Packard is not affiliated with Packard Motor Car Corporation, founded by James Ward Packard and William Doud Packard .

Founding

Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard graduated in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1935. The company originated in a garage in nearby Palo Alto during a fellowship they had with a past professor, Frederick Terman at Stanford during the Great Depression. Terman was considered a mentor to them in forming Hewlett-Packard. In 1939, Packard and Hewlett established Hewlett-Packard (HP) in Packard's garage with an initial capital investment of US$538. Hewlett and Packard tossed a coin to decide whether the company they founded would be called Hewlett-Packard or Packard-Hewlett Packard won the coin toss but named their electronics manufacturing enterprise the "Hewlett-Packard Company". HP incorporated on August 18, 1947, and went public on November 6, 1957.

Of the many projects they worked on, their very first financially successful product was a precision audio oscillator, the Model HP200A. Their innovation was the use of a small incandescent light bulb (known as a "pilot light") as a temperature dependent resistor in a critical portion of the circuit, the negative feedback loop which stabilized the amplitude of the output sinusoidal waveform. This allowed them to sell the Model 200A for $54.40 when competitors were selling less stable oscillators for over $200. The Model 200 series of generators continued until at least 1972 as the 200AB, still tube-based but improved in design through the years.

One of the company's earliest customers was Walt Disney Productions, which bought eight Model 200B oscillators (at $71.50 each) for use in certifying the Fantasound surround sound systems installed in theaters for the movie Fantasia.

About Apple Company

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL; formerly Apple Computer, Inc.) is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. Apple software includes the Mac OS X operating system; the iTunes media browser; the iLife suite of multimedia and creativity software; the iWork suite of productivity software; Aperture, a professional photography package; Final Cut Studio, a suite of professional audio and film-industry software products; Logic Studio, a suite of music production tools; the Safari web browser; and iOS, a mobile operating system. As of July 2011, the company operates 357 retail stores in ten countries, and an online store where hardware and software products are sold. As of September 2011, Apple is the largest publicly traded company in the world by market capitalization and the largest technology company in the world by revenue and profit.

Established on April 1, 1976 in Cupertino, California, and incorporated January 3, 1977, the company was previously named Apple Computer, Inc., for its first 30 years, but removed the word "Computer" on January 9, 2007, to reflect the company's ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. As of September 2010, Apple had 46,600 full time employees and 2,800 temporary full time employees worldwide and had worldwide annual sales of $65.23 billion.

For reasons as various as its philosophy of comprehensive aesthetic design to its distinctive advertising campaigns, Apple has established a unique reputation in the consumer electronics industry. This includes a customer base that is devoted to the company and its brand, particularly in the United States. Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in the world in 2008, 2009, and 2010. The company has however received widespread criticism for its contractors' labor, environmental, and business practices.

About Acer Company

Since its founding in 1976, Acer has achieved the goal of breaking the barriers between people and technology. Globally, Acer ranks No. 2 for total PCs and notebooks. A profitable and sustainable Channel Business Model is instrumental to the company's continuing growth, while its multi-brand approach effectively integrates Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell, and eMachines brands in worldwide markets.

Acer strives to design environmentally friendly products and establish a green supply chain through collaboration with suppliers. Acer is proud to be a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Movement, including the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter and London 2012 Olympic Games.

Over 30 years of making history in the fast-paced IT industry, Acer’s far-reaching strategy of focusing on R&D and marketing development has laid the foundations and created a company ready to embrace the challenges of the future. The Acer Group employs 8,000 people worldwide. Estimated revenues for 2010 reached US$19.9 billion.

About Opera

Opera started out in 1994 as a research project within Telenor, Norway’s leading telecom. Within a year, Opera Software ASA was launched as an independent development company. Today, Opera is headquartered in Norway, with over 700 employees in offices around the world.

Since the beginning, Opera’s founders and employees have shared the belief that access to the Web is a universal right. This has guided the company’s product development, and the Opera web browsers are adapted to a wide range of platforms, operating systems and embedded Internet products — including Mac, PC and Linux computers, tablets, mobile phones and PDAs, as well as various game consoles and other devices.

Opera Software has always strived to develop the fastest and technologically most advanced browsers. As a result, the Opera browser is the choice of some of the world’s most demanding and knowledgeable users. At the same time, when the powerful compression technology in the full browser is applied to the Opera Mini browser, the Web is accessible on even the simplest handsets, with small screens and limited memory. This has made the Opera Mini browser the world’s most popular mobile browser.

We are passionate about breaking down barriers, so everyone can share in the power of the Internet. We believe in the power of a single idea. Participation changes everything.

Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA.

Opera’s Vision

Our vision is to deliver the best Internet experience on any device on all major platforms.

Mission

We strive to develop a superior Internet browser for our users through state-of-the-art technology, innovation, leadership and partnerships.

Values

The movement that discovered the vision and ideals of the Net as a boundary-less community is gaining strength and focus as millions more are joining its ranks every month.
A global movement of netizens is forming in the protection of the Net’s basic philosophy of being a medium accessible to all, independent of creed, culture, language or social class.
We in Opera Software deeply believe in this vision and promise to remain faithful to the following principles:

We believe in respect for our users.

Users have since the beginning shaped Opera’s features and spread the word to the uninitiated. Thanks to this interaction Opera Software exists today, both as an organization and as a technology leader. Opera Software will never forget that its main focus is the user.

We believe in a Net that preserves cultural diversity.

The Net should not eradicate cultural differences. As in life, the Net provides richer experiences when people from all over the world meet and learn from each other in mutual respect. Opera Software will make every effort to promote cultural diversity and make its products available in as many languages as possible.

We believe in security.

The Net gathers people from all walks of life, carrying with them different intentions as well as experiences. Opera Software will do everything possible to maintain the highest possible level of security for all netizens, so they can navigate without fear of being compromised.

We believe in international, open standards.

The Internet should stay open and free to all users, regardless of which browser-application they are using. Standards are much like the spirit of the Internet; a structure on which human innovation can prosper to the benefit of everyone. Opera Software will never seek to hinder the Net’s continuous evolutionary process by imposing proprietary standards.

We believe in a patent-free Web.

Opera Software does not believe innovation in the software industry is protected or encouraged by software patents. In particular, we believe interoperability on the Internet should be encouraged, and we actively work to ensure that software patents do not stand in the way of interoperability.
As a highly innovative company, Opera Software comes up with many ideas and concepts that are patentable. In some situations, we will apply for software patents as a way to protect ourselves from attacks by other aggressive patent holders.

We believe in good employment.

Opera Software’s employees are our most valuable resource. Opera Software will interact with its employees in the same way as it strives to interact with its customers: following the highest ethical standards and respect of individuality.

We believe in a Net with unlimited accessibility.

The Net can be a fantastic experience and opportunity for netizens with physical disabilities. Opera Software will strive to make the Net accessible to all. See Access Opera for more information.

We believe in privacy.

We will always employ the highest ethical standards when dealing with our customers’ private information. Opera Software is licensing out Internet products, not its customers.

We believe in social responsibility.

Opera Software will only thrive in an environment where every care is taken to act as a responsible netizen. Opera Software will strive to always act as a pillar of social responsibility in everything it does.
Opera Software promises to always endeavor to adhere to the aforementioned principles, so all Opera-code will abide by the five S’s: Speed, Size, Security, Standards Compliance and State of the Art. In doing so, it seeks the help and guidance of the Net community. Under the watchful eyes of a diverse population of Net users, Opera Software will continue evolving into what it strives to be: Simply the Best Internet Experience.

Opera Environmental Policy

Opera does not pollute

Opera Software ASA understands the importance of supporting the environment. For this reason, Opera has adopted an environmental policy to indite the Company’s mission in preventing any environmental impact of its activities.
Opera shall:

• Act according to environmental laws to limit the environmental burden on earth, air, water and ecosystem.
• Commit to using environmentally safe products in the workplace.
• Educate staff about company environmental regulations.
• Evaluate the consumption of energy and other resources to determine means of control.
• Ensure the development of environmental protective procedures.

Journalism in the Open: The 2011/12 Knight-Mozilla Fellows announced

Earlier this year, the Knight-Mozilla News Technology Partnership’s, set out to place five technologists in partner newsrooms through a selection process that included an open-call design challenge.  Selecting the final five was a joint process with our five news partners for 2011/12: Al Jazeera, the BBC, the Boston Globe, the Guardian, and Zeit Online. We proudly introduce:

From left to right: Cole, Nichola, Dan, Laurian & Mark

Mark Boas | Al Jazeera

Mark makes, teaches, writes about and promotes new and open web technologies. Co-founder of Happyworm, a tiny entrepreneurial web agency and makers of the jPlayer media framework, Mark enjoys pushing the limits of the browser with HTML5 and JavaScript. Though a generalist at heart, Mark spends much of his time playing with web based media and real-time communications. A lover of all things audio, his passion often drives his work and is currently enjoying the challenge of taking audio ‘somewhere new’ with his Hyperaudio experiments.

Cole Gillespe | Zeit Online

Cole Gillespie is a JavaScript developer originating from deep within the North Carolina Appalachians. In recent years he has spent his time in Raleigh, North Carolina, working with various companies including Project Mastermind, National Geographic, CNN and IBM. He spends most of his free time playing music, hacking open source projects or trolling in IRC trying to keep up with the web’s rapid evolution.

Laurian Grindloc | BBC
Laurian followed his interest in the semantic web through a master in Computational Linguistics and several years of research into semantic navigation at Knowledge Media Institute (The Open University). For the past year, Laurian has been implementing applications using semantic web technologies at the technology innovation company Talis.
Nicola Hughes | Guardian
After academic excursions in the fields of Physics, Zoology, Anthropology and Journalism, Nicola started her media career at CNN in London. Whilst working as a Digital Media Producer, she started blogging and tweeting about data journalism (@DataMinerUK). She left CNN to join a data scraping start up, ScraperWiki, and to gain coding skills. She is now taking her skills, perspectives and start-up mojo into the newsroom for testing.
Dan Schultz | Boston Globe

Dan Schultz is a graduate student at the MIT Media Lab studying in the Information Ecology group. At the Lab he is a Research Associate at the Center for Civic Media and has learned how to make almost anything. Before coming to MIT Dan received a B.S. in Information Systems from Carnegie Mellon University, and was awarded a Knight News Challenge grant in 2007 to write about “Connecting People, Content, and Community.”

Through their tenure at the partner newsrooms in 2012, the fellows have been tasked with three things:

• To embed themselves within their partner newsrooms so that they become intimately familiar with the daily ebb and flow of some of the best newsrooms in the world
• To work in the open, in the spirit of Mozilla and the open-source community. That means blogging about their work and being active in communities outside their host newsroom as an advocate for open innovation.
• To release the code they create into the larger open-source and journalism communities. The goal is to benefit not only their host newsrooms but to make tools that benefit all of journalism and beyond.