Motorola Replacing Google With Bing On Chinese Android Phones

Cynics will likely say China’s forcing Motorola to include Bing search instead of Google in Chinese Android phones, due to the ongoing war o’ censorship with Google. Me? Well, Bing is the better search engine. Kidding!

All Motorola phones in China, starting this month, will be pre-loaded with a Bing bookmark and search widget. This comes a week after AT&T ditched Google for Yahoo Search on the Motorola Backflip – an Android phone. It’s just in China for now, but Reuters is reporting – rather ominously – that the deal is “starting in the coming weeks with phones in China”.

Due to the open-source nature of Android and the flurry of Google-supporting apps, if Motorola were to roll out Bing search to all Android phones in every market, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. But if this expands to all their phones, that could be troubling. Not that I’d suggest buying a non-Android Motorola Phone, obviously.

Barack Obama urges China to relax grip on its currency

President Obama believes China could help protect US jobs

President Barack Obama has urged China to change its currency strategy, a move that would effectively raise the value of the yuan and benefit US exporters.

He said China should help re-balance global trade to ensure that US goods were not competitively disadvantaged.
Mr Obama said in a speech in Washington that China should move to a "more market-oriented exchange rate".
His rare comments on the yuan risk upsetting Beijing, which says currency issues are an internal matter.
Big business in the US has told Mr Obama to get tougher with China on trade and currency issues.
Manufacturers believe the yuan is being kept artificially low, to make Chinese exports cheaper and imports dearer.
Mr Obama said: "For too long, America served as the consumer engine for the entire world. But we are rebalancing. We're saving more. We all need to rebalance.
"Countries with external deficits need to save and export more. Countries with external surpluses need to boost consumption and domestic demand.
"As I've said before, China moving to a more market-oriented exchange rate would make an essential contribution to that global rebalancing effort."
Difficult relations
In his speech, to the Import-Export Bank's annual conference, Mr Obama said that "at a time when millions of Americans are out of work, boosting our exports is a short-term imperative.
"When other markets are growing, and other nations are competing, we need to get even better. We need to secure our companies a level playing field," he said.
Despite Mr Obama's carefully-chosen words, they are unlikely to go down well in Beijing.
US-China relations have soured recently, largely over Mr Obama's meeting last month with the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and over arms sales to Taiwan.
And relations could be about to worsen. The US Treasury Department is considering whether to label China a "currency manipulator" in a report due on 15 April.
Last Saturday China's central bank released a statement pledging to keep the country's currency stable throughout 2010.
Beijing fears that a change in its exchange rate will slow economic growth. Chinese exports fell 16% last year.

India is friend, Pakistan twin brother: Karzai

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday described India as a friend and Pakistan as twin brother of Afghanistan, which could not be stable without Islamabad's cooperation.

India has gone out of the way to help Afghanistan. But Pakistan is twin brother of Afghanistan and without cooperation from Pakistan, there could be no stability, Karzai said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad.

"We are fighting against terrorism; I brought message from people of Afghanistan to the people of Pakistan," he said and assured Pakistani leaders that his country would never allow its soil to be used against Pakistan, Geo News reported.

Karzai said, "We want future with no terrorism" and peace is not likely to be restored in Afghanistan without the help from Pakistan.

Gilani said that Pakistan will enhance its cooperation with Afghanistan to eliminate the terrorism and bilateral ties between the two countries would be furthered.

The prime minister said Pakistan will extend all possible help to Afghanistan for its reconstruction and the trade volume between the two countries would also be ramped up.

"We want to take the strategic partnership with Afghanistan forward," he said.

Walt Disney in India Announces New Studio Production

MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company in India has unveiled plans for its first locally developed studio project aimed specifically at Southern audiences, an as-yet-unnamed epic fantasy adventure.

Production on the film began in November 2009 and its slated for release in January 2011. The Telugu-language movie, which will be dubbed in Tamil, is set in the fictitious land of Sangarashtra. The film will explore the inseparable bond between man the myths that remain relevant even today. The story follows the journey of a 9-year-old girl who has special healing powers in her quest to save the land from the tyranny of an evil Queen.

“India is one of the most dynamic and creatively vibrant markets in the world and this film demonstrates Disney's continued commitment to building a robust and diverse slate of locally produced films,” said Jason Reed, the executive VP of production at Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures and general manager of Walt Disney Studio International Productions.

“We're thrilled to be working with such a high caliber cast and a team of talented filmmakers on this exciting film for Indian moviegoers of all ages,” added Mahesh Samat, the managing director of The Walt Disney Company India. “As we work to build a family entertainment brand in India we plan to provide Indian audiences with an unparalleled roster of locally relevant stories and engaging characters and will continue to tap into the local creative ecosystem to develop content which resonates with Indian kids and families.”

"The story is an epic tale of adventure and fantasy and it was a great challenge bring these amazing worlds and characters to life,” said director Prakash Rao Kovelamudi. “We are immensely proud to work with Disney on this project. With its legacy of incredible storytelling and creating enduring characters they are the perfect partners for this film.”

India, Russia to firm up strategic ties

India and Russia will seek to consolidate their ties in crucial areas such as atomic energy, space and defence during Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's interaction with top Indian leadership here on Friday.

Indian and Russian diplomats, backed by line Ministry officials, were engaged in intense discussions in several areas with both sides expecting to arrive at a common position on a dozen issues. Analysts point out that this would be Mr. Putin's fifth visit to the country, perhaps the maximum ever by a top Kremlin leader. Accompanying him would be Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Sobyanin, Kremlin's pointsman for India-Russia ties.

The focus would be on military agreements such as developing a military transport aircraft and supplying MiG-29K fighters. Of strategic interest would be the closure of talks on civilian and military utilisation of the Russia Glonass (the Global Navigation Satellite System), the Russian equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System, as well as an agreement on cooperation in R&D on civil nuclear energy.

“Both sides are engaged in further consolidating the strategic partnership, which was announced during the landmark visit of the then President Putin to India in the year 2000. During the very successful visit of our Prime Minister to Russia last year in December, the sides adopted a ‘Joint Declaration on Deepening the Strategic Partnership to meet Global Challenges.' Ours is a truly multifaceted strategic partnership spanning a whole range of areas such as defence, nuclear energy, hydrocarbons, science and technology, space, economic and trade,'' MEA spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said.

Kidnapped boy is still missing in Pakistan

LONDON: A British boy kidnapped from his family's home in Pakistan has yet to be found, British and Pakistani officials said Thursday, following erroneous news of his release which one Pakistani diplomat here said was the result of mistaken identity.

Sahil Saeed was snatched from his grandmother's house in Pakistan's Jehlum city last week after robbers held the family at gunpoint for several hours, officials say.
Reports in Pakistan early Thursday suggested that the 5-year-old boy had been freed, news which was confirmed by Pakistan's High Commissioner to London, Wajid Hasan.
But Hasan later told British broadcasters that a boy in an unrelated case was the one released.
“It was a case of mistaken identity,” Hasan told Sky News television. “There was a boy from (the Pakistani city of) Rawalpindi who was missing, and he was recovered, not Sahil Saeed.” Britain's Foreign Office said it had confirmation from officials in Pakistan that Sahil had not been released.
Sahil's grandfather Raja Mohammed Basharat said he had no news one-way or the other.
“The government has not given any information to us about the recovery of Sahil,” he said.
Basharat said he had also lost contact with his son Raja Naqqash Saeed. British media reports said he had left for the UK, although Hasan denied that, saying he was still in Pakistan.
“I don't know where is my son, as I have no contact with him for the past four days,” he said.
Pakistani officials — including Hasan — have suggested that the kidnapping was an “inside job” possibly involving members of the boy's family.

Pakistan bans cricketers from playing after dismal Australia tour

Pakistan has banned three former captains and punished four other members of its national cricket team for their poor performances in a series of humiliating defeats during their tour of Australia last year
Former captains Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were banned indefinitely from playing for Pakistan after the team lost nine matches during their winter tour of Australia. Another former captain Shoaib Malik was banned for a year.
Several other players were fined up to £40,000 pounds for offences ranging from indiscipline to ball-tampering.
Pakistan lost all three Test matches, five one day internationals and a Twenty20 game in one of its worst tours in the history of cricket in the country.
"Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, keeping in view their in-fighting, which resulted in bringing down the team, their attitude has a trickle-down effect that's a bad influence for the whole team, should not be part of the national team in any format," the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement following an inquiry into the team's Australian disaster.
The report denounced another player, Shahid Khan Afridi, as "shameful" after he was caught tampering with the ball on television. Afridi initially said he was "smelling the ball." His actions had bought both the game and his country into disrepute, the report said.
The purge of its national team by the Pakistan Cricket Board follows a series of major setbacks for the sport in the country since the death of its coach Bob Woolmer during the 2007 cricket world cup.
Since then Pakistan has become a no-go zone for international cricket teams following last year's terrorist attack on the visiting Sri Lankan national team in Lahore. Six policemen and a team bus driver were killed in the attack, and seven cricketers and the team coach were injured.
Earlier this year, its top players were boycotted by Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket teams despite Pakistan having won last year's T-20 cricket world cup in England.
Despite this triumph, the squad has been blighted by faction fights and team spirit has been broken by leading players making public attacks on their team-mates and selectors.
Cricket commentator Ayaz Memon said Pakistani cricket had become like an Indian "soap opera." "They had a change of captain for the Australian tour, and the old captain played under the new. There were plots, sub-plots. People thought they should have won the Second Test, but after losing they lost everything. The captain complained his players were not supporting him," he said.
The PCB's purge was an attempt to restore discipline into the squad, but according to Mr Memon "it is closing the stable door after the horse has bolted." Cricket in Pakistan is now in a precarious position, where national teams are unwilling to tour there for fear of terrorist attacks, and its best players are shunned by the Indian Premier League," he added.
Pakistan has produced some outstanding players, and it would be "disastrous" for the sport if its current decline was allowed to continue unchecked, he said.

Why You Should Always Ask A Woman To Reveal Her Age

iStockphoto

Today is my birthday. I’m 26 years old today — but I look much younger. With my big, brown eyes and round cheeks, people who don’t know me often mistake me for being in my early 20s or even in my teens. (It probably doesn’t help matters that my maturity hovers around the “Yo Gabba Gabba!” level at times.) Looking younger than my actual age is both a blessing and a curse. It is difficult, as a young-looking woman, to be taken seriously by older people when I discuss politics, society or culture. I’m not going to complain about being told that I “look so young,” though, when the latter is meant as a compliment. Who doesn’t enjoy compliments?
But I’ll admit I feel weird accepting those compliments sometimes. Why should I be flattered that I look young?
It’s not like I have any control over that (other than not smoking and getting lots of sleep). I don’t think it’s right that younger women are valued more for their youth and beauty — and if we really want to get right down to the heart of the matter, their ability to have babies. You don’t need to look much farther than last weekend’s Academy Awards’ red carpet to see how older women are supposed to aspire to “look” as much like 20-somethings as possible: no wrinkles, a taut body, perky boobs, long hair.  (I’m looking at you, Demi Moore.)  Off the red carpet, many “real” women shy away from revealing their true age. But it’s just unfair to exalt older women for “aging well” or “being well-preserved” — that means we’ve given looking young a culturally higher value than, say, having talents, giving charitably, earning lots of money, being a great friend or parent, or possessing wisdom.
And that is why I have made a vow with myself: Until the day I die, I will always tell the truth about how old I am. No apologies.
Somehow, it has become culturally taboo to ask a woman her age. (Well, not “somehow.” I just very clearly explained why younger women have more cultural value.) Asking a woman’s age is considered impolite, while asking a man his age is not considered impolite at all. Surely you’ve heard someone say, “Never ask a woman her age!” or you’ve read an interview in which a female celebrity/CEO/etc. refuses to say how old she is.
To this day, I still don’t know how old one of my aunts is, although she’s got to be in her 50s or 60s. Her son and her husband obviously know the real number, but they’ve always kept it a secret at her wishes. And it is not just “older” women who do this: I interned at a magazine in college at age 20 and a sales rep from the business side was also doing an internship because she wanted to break into editorial. She also appeared to be young-looking, but one day she mentioned her husband and how they had married some years ago. I had thought she was a college student, like the rest of us interns! “You have a husband! Oh, wow! How old are you?” I asked. She made this face at me, which, I’m sorry to say, can only be described as snotty. Then she shook her head and said she wasn’t going to reveal her age. All I could think was, Oh, get over yourself! It doesn’t matter what your age is! In retrospect, I feel sorry for her that she felt like she had to “fit in” with the 20-year-old interns.
As far as I’m concerned, each and every one of these situations is ridiculous. Of course, the harm they’re causing is unintentional, but I firmly believe they are just hurting other “women of a certain age” (ugh, hate that phrase!) by furthering the taboo that there is something wrong with being 64 or 37 or what-have-you. There is nothing wrong with your age. There just isn’t. If anything, a woman should be proud of having reached age 68, of raising money for breast cancer research, of raising three kids, of buying her own home, of earning a Master’s degree, of nursing a sick cat back to health, of divorcing that jerk of an ex-husband and not keeling over from a heart attack. That is what’s important.
I may not always look younger than my age, but I swear to you I won’t care. How I look is not what I value most about myself; the wisdom that I have amassed in my years on earth is what matters. Today, I turned 26 years old and I’m proud of it.

African Film Festival to offer view of everyday life on the continent

The annual Washington University in St. Louis African Film Festival will be held March 26-28 on the Danforth Campus.
All screenings are free and open to the public and begin at 7 p.m. each evening in Brown Hall, Room 100. This year, there will be a Saturday matinee at 1 p.m. March 27.

Scene from "Bronx Princess," to be screened

“The African Film Festival is offering one of its very strongest programs this year of unique and yet universally-relevant films,” said Gaylyn Studlar, Ph.D., director of the Program in Film and Media Studies in Arts & Sciences and David May Distinguished University Professor in the Humanities.
The films being shown at the festival have fared well on international film festival circuits and are suitable for all ages. The festival at Washington University hopes to expose the campus and St. Louis audiences to African filmmakers making relevant films with limited budgets; it also allows film buffs the chance to see emerging trends in African filmmaking.
“If there is a common theme, it is the concept of leisure time, or what people do for entertainment or recreation,” said Wilmetta Toliver-Diallo, Ph.D., assistant dean in the College of Arts & Sciences and senior lecturer in African & African American Studies in Arts & Sciences. “This may differ according to social class, but viewers will get a real sense of how people in various African countries live their everyday lives.”
One of the more powerful films in the festival is Wanuri Kahiu's "From a Whisper," which re-tells the story of the 1998 terrorist bombing in Nairobi by focusing on two Kenyan families still coping with loss. This film won five African Movie Academy Awards in 2009, including best director and best actor. In an industry usually dominated by Francophone African films, this year’s series highlights two works from Kenyan filmmakers.
"Not an entire society or culture can be summed up in 100 minutes or less, but these films will give everyone attending a glimpse into societies thousands of miles away and bring them closer to home,” said sophomore Ifeoluwa Salako, president of the African Students Association.
In conjunction with the festival, Toliver-Diallo will screen two short films at Soldan International Studies High School in St. Louis and talk about the evolution of African filmmaking, as well as themes presented in the films.
Several of the films in the series have been provided by the African Film Festival, a New York-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting African arts, literature and culture.
Campus sponsors include African & African American Studies and Film & Media Studies, both in Arts & Sciences, the African Students Association and African students in the School of Social Work. Additional support is provided by a grant from the Women's Society of Washington University.
Friday's films are co-presented with the St. Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Sunday's feature is co-presented with the St. Louis, Missouri-Senegal Sister Cities Program.
Brown Hall is located near the intersection of Forsyth Boulevard and Chaplin Drive.
For a complete list of films and their descriptions, visit wupa.wustl.edu/africanfilm. For more information, contact Toliver-Diallo at (314) 935-7879 or wtoliver@artsci.wustl.edu.

Give Special Attention to you’re Kidney’s Health on World Kidney Day

On March 11th, World Kidney Day is celebrated around the globe, in over 100 countries.

Kidney diseases which are silent killers have no symptoms until they reach kidney failure.

 

Kidney diseases affect around 600 million people worldwide – approximately one in ten people. Kidney diseases which are silent killers have no symptoms until they reach kidney failure. It is then too late for treatment and the only way to stay alive is lifetime dialysis - or transplantation, for the lucky few who manage to find a donor. Sadly, dialysis is often not an option in the developing world, where it is too expensive, water is scarce or machines are unavailable.

 

This year, World Kidney Day focuses on Diabetes, which is the leading cause of kidney diseases worldwide. Hypertension, obesity and pollution are also major causes of kidney damage. While it is commonly known that lifestyle changes of the past decades have lead to an increase in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, too many people still ignore that the conditions have generated this outburst of kidney disorders.

 

Kidney diseases which are silent killers have no symptoms until they reach kidney failure

 

World Kidney Day is also a good opportunity to remind governments that the pandemic weighs heavily on all countries’ healthcare budgets and that it is crucial to take action to facilitate early detection and encourage healthy lifestyles.

 

The figures speak for themselves:

 

According to the WHO, China and India will have about 130 million diabetics by 2025 who will consume about 40% of their country’s healthcare budget in addition to reducing productivity and hindering economic growth.  

30% of the predicted US$1.1 trillion medical costs of dialysis world-wide during this decade will result from diabetic nephropathy.

 

In 2009, the fourth World Kidney Day was a formidable success with 370 different events taking place in over 100 countries and territories across 6 continents. The support of celebrities like Tom Hanks and Johnny Depp has brought great worldwide recognition and strength to the campaign.

Stepping out of the box, Chinese food style

I'm a firm believer in setting goals. Whether I'm sweating at the gym, tackling a list of tasks at my computer or pulling weeds in my yard, setting small goals along the way makes it easier for me to get things done. So you probably won't be too shocked to hear that I also set goals when it comes to dining out. Take, for example, a recent visit to Golden China, where my goal was to expand my Chinese food horizons. I'm pretty gutsy when it comes to climbing mountains and paddling out in choppy surf, but when it comes to Chinese food I haven't always been that adventurous. I'm so smitten with hot and sour soup, moo shu pork and orange beef that I never stray from this oriental comfort zone. A trip to Golden China offered the perfect opportunity to break out of this rut.

We started our meal with cups of soup — egg flower soup for me and wonton soup for my companion. While mine was a bit plain with its clear yet thick broth, it was flecked happily with cubes of carrot and hearty strands of egg. His offered a flavorful chicken broth filled with large wontons that had become soft and doughy as they rested in the bowl. The savory pork filling was the perfect yin to the yang of the simple broth. Both hot soups were nice and mild, unlike the spicy hot and sour soup I would usually start with.

The appetizer options run the gamut of typical Chinese fare like egg rolls and pot stickers, but also include dishes like a bacon roll (imitation crab meat wrapped in bacon) and shrimp toast (bread topped with shrimp and deep fried). Having never sampled ribs in a Chinese restaurant, we went for the barbecue spare ribs. What arrived at the table was a plate of four large pork ribs — glistening in a pink sauce reminiscent of a standard sweet and sour. The meat was well-cooked, and there was just the right amount of sauce to be flavorful but not too messy. We tore into them as though we hadn't eaten in days.

Since the theme of the evening was stepping out of the box, I had polled friends for some suggestions of what I should try. One friend recommended the Captain's chicken — a dish she remembers from her wedding reception at Golden China 10 years ago. Large pieces of boneless chicken (think chicken, finger-size) are breaded, fried and tossed with carrots and onions in a sauce tinged with just the right amount of sweetness. There was also something sweet about the breading itself, and the large pieces of chicken were a nice change from the standard bite-size pieces of chicken found in most Chinese dishes.

Having never eaten lamb in a Chinese restaurant before, we also chose the lamb in a fire pot. Thinly sliced pieces of lamb are cooked with broccoli, onions and cubes of tofu in a mild brown sauce. And it all sits in a little metal pot, atop a blue Sterno flame, simmering and bubbling as you serve your plate. Though the sauce was lacking a bit of oomph, the lamb was tender, the big cubes of tofu even softer, and the contrast between the two proteins and their textures was nice.

Another friend recommended dry sautéed string beans, something that wasn't even on my Chinese food radar. She said that they were so good, she could eat them like candy. Since it’s not that often you hear someone speak so enthusiastically about a vegetable, my curiosity was definitely piqued. My friend was right: this dish truly delivered. It consists of a giant mound of long green beans, cooked until brown but still retaining some crunch, tossed in a flavorful sauce, and topped with crumbles of pork. Though this dish is veggie-centric, it is hearty enough to be a main dish.

For dessert, Golden China offera a jaw-dropping selection of cakes in a pastry case like one you might find in a New York deli. Chocolate layer cake, cheesecake and thick slices of carrot cake aren't necessarily what you think of when you go out for Chinese food, but tempting indeed. Golden China offers a full bar, draft beers, cocktails and karaoke every night. The service is prompt, and the servers, helpful. When we asked for drink refills and extra silverware, our server often returned within 30 seconds. This restaurant is large, the interior dark, and the high ceilings give it a cavernous feel. There are seats by a cozy fireplace, seats by the windows that overlook a grassy lawn, and seats by one of the flowing waterfalls. Though often known for its karaoke and its location right off the freeway, this restaurant is one of a kind, a great place for your next dining adventure.

Facebook Pressured To Install Panic Button

LONDON (AP) -- British officials say they're pressuring Facebook to make a "panic button" available on its Web pages following the death of a teenager at the hands of a man she met on the popular social networking site.

British child protection authorities have been lobbying Facebook and other social networking sites to install a one-click button which can allow children to get immediate police help if they suspect they're at risk.

Calls for Facebook to install the button intensified following the kidnap, rape and murder of 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall. Her killer, Peter Chapman, used a bogus Facebook identity to befriend her online.

Harriet Harman, the deputy leader of Britain's governing Labour Party, said Thursday ministers were lobbying Facebook to adopt the button.

Google Tests New Blogger Layout Design Tool

Google will begin on Thursday a public test of a Blogger layout customization tool that the company says significantly broadens publishers' ability to modify the look of their blogs.

The Blogger Template Designer includes ready-to-use professional designs, pre-built templates that can be further modified, a color-adjustment control to tweak the blog's color palette, stock photos for background use and an advanced interface for publishers who know HTML and CSS.

"The presentation of your content online and how you create that presentation is very important to self-expression. How you look online is your personal brand," said Siobhan Quinn, a Blogger product manager. "With this new tool, we want to empower users to express themselves not only through their words but also through their blog's design."
 
To use the Blogger Template Designer, publishers will have to log into their blogs through Blogger in Draft, which is where Google previews Blogger features that are still in a test phase.

"This is the biggest launch Blogger has had in several years," Quinn said.

Blogger, a pioneer blog publishing service launched in 1999, played a major part in the blogging revolution, but has at times over the years been criticized for being slow in adding features that competitors often incorporate sooner.

Nonetheless, it remains a major player in its market with millions of active bloggers and more than 300 million active monthly readers. In the past two years, active contributors to Blogger blogs have more than doubled, according to Google.

Google Testing TV Search

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Google is testing a new TV search service in conjunction with Dish Network.

According to Jessica Vascellaro of The Wall Street Journal, the new search service will run on set-top boxes and will allow users to search for TV shows and Web content, including YouTube videos.

Dish Network, which is currently the second largest satellite TV provider in the U.S., will allow Google to offer TV searches of a very high quality to its viewers. In return, Google will be able to drive more advertising revenues as subscribers are bound to see its display ads while conducting searches.

The service will make use of some features from Google’s Android Operating System. New set-top boxes will have to be loaded with Google software and Dish Network subscribers will be able to search content and even create their own show line up or playlist using a keyboard.

The service is already being tested by families of Google employees.

Studies have shown that more and more users are interested in viewing online content on their large-screen TV sets. Some companies like Apple, Yahoo! and Microsoft already offer similar services.

One hurdle that Google will have to overcome is that users will need new set-top boxes, and they may not want to spend money on them. Google will have to devise some enticing offers to encourage users to get a new set-top boxes.

Google and China: When Something Means Nothing

Remember all of the human rights high-fivery over Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) threat to leave China if it is forced to continue to censor its results?

"Something should happen soon," CEO Eric Schmidt told reporters yesterday, acknowledging that officials from China and Google executives are in negotiations.

I think Schmidt rocks, but I'm going to have to call his bluff on this one. Under what scenario do you see China agreeing to Google's demands? Under what scenario do you see Google pulling out of the world's most populous nation?

I took a comical stab at what these negotiations must be going like, and I'm quite frankly surprised to hear Schmidt point to a quick resolution.

Right now, China is a small market in terms of revenue. Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) is the runaway market leader, and the $651.6 million in revenue it recorded last year is less than 3% of the $23.7 billion that Google scored on its top line last year. Because Google's market share in China is roughly half of Baidu's slice, leaving China wouldn't affect Big G's results in the near term.

However, this isn't about the near term. The world's leading search engine knows that China's economy is improving at a heady pace. Baidu posted 40% revenue growth for its latest quarter, and even real-world advertising networks AirMedia (Nasdaq: AMCN) and VisionChina (Nasdaq: VISN) posted double-digit top-line gains for 2009. Google has a chance to cash in on China as its citizens accumulate wealth and advertisers spend more to reach them. It's not as if Google can leave and come back in a few years as if nothing had happened.

Google has some leverage here, but it's not much. Just as China may be disgraced globally if Google leaves, it may be a better resolution than to be embarrassed globally if it lets Google get its way. Why should China bow to Google's demands, instead of protecting its homegrown engines Baidu and Sohu.com's (Nasdaq: SOHU) Sogou?

Maybe Schmidt is simply feeling the pressure from the activists who hoisted Google onto their shoulders earlier this year. It has been two months since Google took a stand in China, and nothing has changed. Was it just lip service?

Those four words -- "something should happen soon" -- are timely, yet also sorely open-ended. Google isn't leaving China. China isn't going to let Google have its way.

The only thing that will happen soon -- sadly -- is nothing.