Google's Anti-Competitive and Unfair Practices in Digital Leisure Markets
The purpose of this article is to reflect on the critical use of commitments in the Google case and to analyse and review the matrix of facts that have been highlighted in the academic and practitioner literature. Therefore, the core area of reflection in this contribution are relevant markets; barriers to entry; network and lock-in effects; dominance; and potential anti-competitive, as well as unfair practices as regards commercial advertisements. The analysis of the online search-engine market is complemented by the comparative insights offered by the US class action against Google’s Android mobile applications. In the EU, a similar trend is noticeable in the complaining tone of Google’s competitors. Coupled with the transitional period of the mandate of the newly appointed Commissioner for Competition and the political sensitivity over the potential to misuse search-engine users’ personal data to serve commercial purposes, such as boosting its advertising revenues, the giant Google swims in uncertain waters.
A critical account of the EU Competition Commission's approach to investigations of free high technology companies : towards a new standard
Large free high technology (FHT) companies such as search engines can bring immense benefit to consumers. Only the largest FHT company is likely to be able to maximize innovation. Beyond this, any further innovation can only be brought by completely new and disruptive technologies that replace the product of the incumbent. However, whilst consumer welfare is purportedly the main objective of EU competition law, it presumes that more competition creates increased consumer benefit. This thesis explores this conflict by analysing how it manifests in a limited and uncertain approach on the part of the EU Commission. It then proposes a test that resolves the problems of the approach. First, the thesis explores the tension between FHT economics and the presumptions of competition law. Next, it evaluates the EU Commission’s approach to analysing FHT markets against literature and its conflicting approach in other technology cases. We conclude that the EU Commission’s proclamation that FHT markets are competitive is based on a limited approach that does not give due consideration to factors such as network effects. Subsequently, based on the above evaluation, the thesis hypothesizes that the EU Commission’s true belief is that dominant FHT companies are good for consumers even with reduced competition. However, the EU Commission can justify dominant company
rPET detectors design and data processing
Small animal PET systems based on rotating planar detectors posses some interesting advantages for high sensitivity, high resolution imaging. We have designed the rPET detectors based on MLS crystals assembled on a 30times30 matrix optically coupled to a flat-panel PS-PMT. Weighted position readout circuits pre-process the 64 signals from the 8times8 anodes matrix, which are digitized using a charge-integrating converter. The amplification electronics, including the trigger output for coincidence detection, and the high voltage supply are integrated in a three PCBs stack that forms the base attached to the back of the PMT. The whole assembly is enclosed in a light tight, lead (Pb) shielded aluminum box. The detectors are mounted on a rotating gantry with more than 180 degrees rotation span. The digitized events are screened and histogramed, and a modified center of gravity algorithm removes from the position calculation those signals with poor signal to noise ratio. Apparent mean crystal size on the 511 keV field-flood images is 0.6 mm, mean peak-to-valley ratio is better than 8, and intrinsic resolution is 1.5 mm at the central row, with the energy window wide open. Sensitivity (CPS) for a pair of these detectors set in coincidence at 160 mm distance is 1%