p2pnet World Headlines â Sept 30, 2009
Two-Thirds of Americans Object to Online Tracking New York Times
About two-thirds of Americans object to online tracking by advertisers â and that number rises once they learn the different ways marketers are following their online movements, according to a new survey from professors at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. Joseph Turow, lead author of a study on consumers’ feelings about online tracking, said, ‘The most important thing is to bring the public into the picture, which is not going on right now.’ The professors say they believe the study, scheduled for release on Wednesday, is the first independent, nationally representative telephone survey on behavioral advertising. The topic may be technical, but it has become a hot political issue. Privacy advocates are telling Congress and the Federal Trade Commission that tracking of online activities by Web sites and advertisers has gone too far, and the lawmakers seem to be listening. Representative Rick Boucher, Democrat of Virginia, wrote in an article for The Hill last week that he planned to introduce privacy legislation. And David Vladeck, head of consumer protection for the F.T.C., has signaled that he will examine data privacy issues closely. Marketers are arguing that advertising supports free online content. Major advertising trade groups proposed in July some measures that they hoped would fend off regulation, like a clear notice to consumers when they were being tracked. The data in this area, however, has been largely limited to company-financed research or Internet-based research, which survey experts say they believe is not representative of all Americans. So the study â among the first independent surveys to examine this issue â has attracted widespread interest.
Microsoft, Google vie for L.A. city e-mail contract Los Angeles Times
As Google and Microsoft battle for dominance in technology, a skirmish in Los Angeles City Hall is offering a rare public glimpse into a rivalry that could help determine the fortunes of both companies â and, quite possibly, how workers in the future will communicate. The two tech giants are clashing over a $7.25 million contract to replace Los Angeles’ outdated e-mail system. The stakes are high enough that both companies have fielded teams of lobbyists and executives to press their case in City Hall. City officials have also been told that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Google CEO Eric Schmidt “would be more than happy to come and visit with you,” said City Councilman Tony Cardenas, who chairs the council’s information and technology committee.
Obama to ’shut down’ Ãresund Bridge The Local
Even though US president Barack Obama isn’t setting foot in Sweden, his planned visit to Copenhagen on Friday is expected to cause headaches for Malmö-area businesses and commuters. The Ãresund Bridge Consortium announced on Tuesday that the bridge, which carries both rail and road traffic between Malmö and Copenhagen, will be closed during the morning rush hour and at lunchtime on Friday in conjunction with Obama’s visit to the Danish capital. The decision to shut down the major traffic artery at one of the busiest times of the day confounded Henrik Andersson, a representative for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Southern Sweden (Sydsvenska Industri- och Handelskammaren)
Stop the Trump Clearances Tripping Up Trump
Tripping Up Trump is a fresh energised movement standing up for the people and environment threatened by Donald Trump’s development in Aberdeenshire. This real life story is no longer just about whether you agree or not with the controversial housing and golf complex. This is now about the human rights of the local people threatened by Donald Trump’s aggressive use of power. Trump is pushing to use compulsory purchase to clear families from their land, not for a school, or a hospital, but for his profit. Worse still, Trump received outlined planning permission on the grounds that he had all the land he needed. This is why Tripping Up Trump stands strong, demanding that Donald Trump doesn’t abuse the law and residents affected by his controversial housing and golf development. On October the 1st the council will decide how they are going to deal with the Compulsory Purchase Issue and we are calling for the council to protect the residents and families under threat.
U.S. may need as much as $350 bln to extend broadband Reuters
Expanding broadband usage throughout the United States will require subsidies and investment in infrastructure upgrades of as much as $350 billion, a regulatory panel said on Tuesday. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is crafting a national broadband plan aimed at increasing usage in rural and urban areas. The report is due to be submitted to Congress in mid-February. In a mid-course status report, an FCC task force said preliminary estimates indicate that investments in the range of $20 billion to $350 billion may be needed for wireless and landline infrastructure, depending on the speed of service. The range indicates the slowest speeds to premium fast speeds.
85-Year-Old Fights Traffic Ticket with BB Gun NBCChicago
Peter J. Reilly planned to use fire power to fight a traffic ticket. The 85-year-old suburban Chicago man, who was angry over a $250 parking ticket, strolled into his local police station to dispute it with the officer at the front desk. The officer said Reilly pulled a gun from his hat and pointed it at him. After refusing repeated orders drop it, officers came to the lobby and took the gun away from Reilly. That’s when police discovered the handgun was … a BB gun.
Polanski facing more time in jail BBC
Director Roman Polanski faces more time in jail after his legal team asked a Swiss court to release him and were told a decision could take weeks. Polanski is being held in Switzerland on a US arrest warrant over his conviction, 30 years ago, for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. It is not clear why legal proceedings have been made now. But on Tuesday, US prosecutors claimed the 76-year-old had been on an Interpol “wanted list” for years. Polanski’s agent, Jeff Berg, said the arrest made “no sense” as he had travelled extensively across Europe. But US authorities implied the filmmaker had been adept at evading arrest.
Computer hacks jump in ‘09: study CBC
Canadian companies faced more computer attacks in the past 12 months, which cost companies almost twice as much to fight, according to a study released Tuesday. A survey of 600 information technology professionals compiled by Telus Corp. and the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto showed that the number of attacks jumped to 11.3 per organization in the past year, up from three in 2008. In addition, the cost per organization to fight these attacks has also almost doubled, to $834,000 in the latest survey, up from $423,000 in 2008.
How to Search Canada’s Copyright Consultation Database Excess Copyright
The Canadian Coalition for Electronic Rights has done what the Government of Canada and Nick Nanos have, for whatever reason, not done. It has provided us with a search engine for the submissions that really works! And it works better and easier than Google’s advanced search.
Convicted Hacker Left in Charge of Prison Computer System Switched
In a twist of Alanis Morrissettian irony, a man serving a six-year prison sentence for stealing millions of dollars through online credit card fraud recently succeeded in (surprise!) hacking into his prison’s computer network, effectively paralyzing the entire system. The really incomprehensible part, though, is that officials at Ranby Prison, close to Retford, Nottinghamshire, England, gave him access to the computer. Apparently in dire need of an internal TV station at the facility, officers decided against hiring a third party (e.g., not a convicted hacker) to set up the system. They instead opted to keep the operation in (the Big) house, delegating the duty to one Douglas Havard. So, as convicted hackers are wont to do, Havard, left unguarded, worked his way into the prison’s hard drive, and set up a labyrinth of passwords to lock everyone else out of the system.
September, 2009
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September 30th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
4 more charged under the Do Not Call List (DNCL):
1. The Commission therefore imposes AMPs totalling $2,500 on Best Price Movers.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2009/2009-604.htm
Curiosities (heh):
In its representations, Best Price Movers submitted that natural justice permits it to orally examine under oath complainants who have filed affidavits. The Commission considers that in the circumstances Best Price Movers does not have a right to cross-examine those who have filed affidavits.
Best Price Movers alleged that the National Do Not Call List regime violates its right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by paragraph 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter). The Commission notes that Charter rights and freedoms are not absolute and considers that the provisions applicable in this case are justified under section 1 of the Charter.
**representations by Ilya Nikitine on behalf of Best Price Movers
2. The Commission therefore imposes AMPs totalling $5,000 on McTavish Logistics.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2009/2009-605.htm
Curiosities (heh):
In its representations, McTavish Logistics submitted that natural justice permits it to orally examine under oath complainants who have filed affidavits. The Commission considers that in the circumstances McTavish Logistics does not have a right to cross-examine those who have filed affidavits.
McTavish Logistics alleged that the National Do Not Call List regime violates its right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by paragraph 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter). The Commission notes that Charter rights and freedoms are not absolute and considers that the provisions applicable in this case are justified under section 1 of the Charter.
**representations by Ilya Nikitine on behalf of McTavish Logistics.
3. The Commission therefore imposes AMPs totalling $5,000 on YYZ Logistics.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2009/2009-607.htm
Curiosities (heh):
In its representations, YYZ Logistics submitted that natural justice permits it to orally examine under oath complainants who have filed affidavits. The Commission considers that in the circumstances YYZ Logistics does not have a right to cross-examine those who have filed affidavits.
YYZ Logistics alleged that the National Do Not Call List regime violates its right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by paragraph 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the Charter). The Commission notes that Charter rights and freedoms are not absolute and considers that the provisions applicable in this case are justified under section 1 of the Charter.
**representations by Ilya Nikitine on behalf of YYZ Logistics.
4. The Commission therefore imposes AMPs totalling $4,500 on Mouldaway.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2009/2009-606.htm
Curiosities (heh):
In its representations Mouldaway stated its belief that it was exempt from the Rules because it did not directly sell products over the phone, but merely booked annual furnace inspections.
The Commission finds that because the nine telecommunications promoted a service offered by Mouldaway â that is, furnace and ventilation cleaning â the telecommunications were telemarketing telecommunications as defined in the Rules.
Comment:
I don’t think Ilya Nikitine will make the same defense again in the future (unless they appeal this decision at the Federal Court of Appeal and win).
I don’t know who Ilya Nikitine is that is defending/representing these companies. Anyone?
September 30th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
SiS offers online test for James Bond wannabes:
http://www.sis.gov.uk/output/self-selection-tool.html
or
http://www.sis.gov.uk/output/self-selection-tool-text-version.html
Story found here:
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/703198
September 30th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/09/virtual-composer-makes-beautiful-musicand-stirs-controversy.ars
Now that music industry can’t create meaningful stuff, a computer program will outperform the real “composer” from the music industry.
And the music industry thought file sharing was bad.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:33 am
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/01/microsoft_crypto_ssl_bug/
SSL spoof bug still haunts IE, Safari, Chrome
Nine weeks after a hacker demonstrated how to spoof authentication certificates for virtually any website on the internet, users of Internet Explorer and many other applications remain susceptible because Microsoft hasn’t patched the underlying vulnerability.
October 1st, 2009 at 3:46 am
Britain asks Schwarzenegger to close prostitute web site
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE58T69420090930
A British government minister asked California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday to shut down a U.S. website that allows men to rate prostitutes, including many working in London.
The website in question is: punternet-DOT-com
Funny, prostitution is legal in London, yet they want this rate-a-whore website shut down because it’s demeaning to woman? This asshat UK minister should take care of her own backyard me thinks.
October 1st, 2009 at 3:49 am
The US does not need $350Bn for broadband. This is the high end of the estimate; the low end is only $20Bn. The estimate is given by the FCC, which of course would be expected to pocket some of that money.
October 1st, 2009 at 4:39 am
This may be an important one with repercussions. Definitely one worth following:
Autodesk suit could affect secondary software sales
A dispute over secondhand sales of Autocad continues
http://www.infoworld.com/t/intellectual-property/autodesk-suit-could-affect-secondary-software-sales-801
A judge Tuesday heard arguments in a dispute over software sales that could potentially have repercussions on the secondhand sale of virtually any copyright material.
The suit was filed by Timothy Vernor, a seller on eBay, after Autodesk, citing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, asked eBay to remove some of its software products that Vernor had listed for sale there, and later to ban him from the site.
Vernor had not illegally copied the software but was selling legitimate CDs of the products secondhand. For that reason, he argued, he was not infringing Autodesk’s copyright.
Autodesk countered that because it licenses the software, rather than selling it outright, a licensee does not have the right to resell its products.
“The deal between Autodesk and the licensee is [that] you pay us for the software and you’re not going to be able to sell it on the used market,” Michael Jacobs, an attorney with Morrison and Foersters who is representing Autodesk, said in court Tuesday. ……
In fact, Vernor originally bought the software from someone else, so Autodesk also argued that Vernor had unlawfully acquired it, because the software license did not give the original owner the right to sell it to him.
Vernor’s lawyer responded that while Autodesk can call it a licensing arrangement in which it retains title to the software, in reality it is selling a product that an end-user then owns.
“There’s no way for Autodesk to control the software once it’s in the stream of commerce. The particular copy of software gets full value up front. Autodesk doesn’t ask for periodic payments,” said Greg Beck, a lawyer from the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen who is representing Vernor. …
Indeed, Beck has argued that the case could have wider ramifications for consumers. “If copyright owners could restrict resale of their products with these so-called agreements, used book and record stores would soon disappear,” he said in a statement when Vernor’s case was filed.
The two-hour hearing, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle, was in response to motions for summary judgment filed by both sides. The judge can now rule for Vernor or for Autodesk or send the case to trial.
Beck expects the judge to rule for one party or the other, and for the loser to appeal. Early last year the judge declined a request by Autodesk to dismiss the case.
While Jacobs said the software industry is watching the case closely, few companies have commented on it publicly. Microsoft, the Software and Information Industry Association and the Washington Technology Industry Alliance did not reply to requests for comment.