Internet spying 'largest threat in 2008'

Internet-based espionage is likely to pose the largest information security danger in 2008, the security software company McAfee has reported.

In a new report titled Virtual Criminology, the company said that the internet is increasingly being used by governments for spying and launching cyber attacks on rivals. The report also said that the new year would see an increase in attacks against e-banking functions.

Earlier this year, Estonia was targeted by a widespread cyber attack which shut down many essential functions for weeks. An unnamed Nato source told McAfee: "Traditional protective measures were not enough to protect against the attacks on Estonia's critical national infrastructure. "Botnets, unsurprisingly, were used but the complexity and coordination seen was new."

The attacks were organized and used "careful timing", the source said. And instead of being successfully shut down, the attacks stopped at a given juncture, the source added. For information on digital products and services visit Broadband National.

Everyone Is Going To Jail!!!!!

Judge removed over cell phone jailing

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - A sign in Niagara Falls' city court warns that cell phones and pagers must be turned off. Folks there believe it. On Tuesday, a judge was bounced from the bench for jailing 46 people after none would own up to a cell phone that began ringing during his court session.

Judge Robert Restaino "snapped" and "engaged in what can only be described as two hours of inexplicable madness" during the March 2005 session, Raoul Felder, chairman of the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, wrote in the decision to remove the judge.

Restaino, who became a full-time judge in 2002 after serving part-time since 1996, was hearing domestic violence cases when a phone rang.

"Everyone is going to jail," the judge said. "Every single person is gong to jail in this courtroom unless I get that instrument now. If anybody believes I'm kidding, ask some of the folks that have been here for a while. You are all going."

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Gizmoz Launches Be a Star

New Application Lets Anyone Star in Their Own Movie, TV or Video Clip, and
Share the Spotlight and Laughs with a Friend

Gizmoz, www.gizmoz.com, a social expression and user-generated media service, today launched Be a Star, an online application that lets consumers enjoy the fun and fame of starring in their own movie, TV or online video clip. Whether playing the romantic lead, jamming in a music video or performing daredevil stunts in an extreme sports clip, securing the starring role in a Gizmoz production is as easy as uploading a digital photo. To share the spotlight with a friendhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif, upload his or her image as well.

In a matter of seconds, the Gizmoz Be a Star application converts a digital face shot into a lifelike talking 3D head. The image is then superimposed on a video character with facial expressions, audio and movements all automatically synched together. The entire 30 to 60 second production can be posted to any blog or social networking profile, shared with friends or family by email, or uploaded to a video site or web site for the entire world to see.

For information on other digital products and services visit Broadband National.

Online sales hit $500m

Last Friday saw online sales in the US of $531 million, according to figures released by research outfit comScore.

This was a rise of 22 percent compared with last year's online shopping figures. Since November 1st, a total of $9.3 billion has been spent by consumes online, comScore found. The best-selling items were video game consoles such as the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3.

Comscore chairman Gian Fulgoni said: "The Friday after Thanksgiving is known for heavy spending in retail stores, but it's clear that consumers are increasingly turning to the internet to make their holiday purchases. "Online spending on Black Friday has historically represented an early indicator of how the rest of the season will shake out." Fulgoni said that Black Friday's growth shows momentum and bodes well for the season. He said he expected Cyber Monday sales to top $700 million. http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif"While this would make it the heaviest online shopping day on record, we can expect to see even stronger days ahead as the 2007 shopping season progresses into December," he said.

For more information on other digital products and services visit Broadband National.

Verizon boosts broadband speed

Communication company Verizon has announced that it is now offering symmetrical FiOS internet services that provide broadband at speeds that "blow cable away".

The service will be available in all 16 states that currently offer FiOS and will offer users connection speeds of up to 15 megabits per second. Susan Retta, vice president, broadband solutions for Verizon, said: "Millions of households no longer have to settle for cable upload speeds that can't deliver the most interactive online experiences.

"With FiOS you can choose ultra-fast uploading that makes sending information as quick and easy as receiving it." Now the company offers the fastest broadband to the most consumers in America, Ms Retta went on to say. FiOS uses fiber optics to deliver the internet and so far is the only such service in the US. According to the company, fios is an ancient Irish word for knowledge.

US Airways expands AT&T wireless deal

Airline giant US Airways has signed a contract with AT&T for the communications company to provide wireless services to customers, corporate email and cargo tracking.

The deal is worth $6 million and is an expansion of a long-running contract between the companies which has seen AT&T provide US Airways with internet protocol data services. US Airways will now use hand-held barcode scanners which can connect wirelessly with AT&T's network and will allow the airline to provide tracking for its customers in real time. AT&T already provides similar services to many regional airlines around the US.

Joe Beery, US Airways' senior vice president and chief information officer, said: "In a move to optimize and improve our tracking of cargo shipments, we sought a reliable and consistent solution. "AT&T brings the benefit of wireless advantages to the solution and enhances our agility and high-quality standards to our customer service philosophy."

Town to vote on making cyber-bullying a crime

A town near St Louis is to vote on whether to make cyber-bullying a crime, following the suicide of a 13-year-old girl who was subjected to a campaign of online harassment.

Now Darden Prairie is to vote on an ordinance which would make online harassment a Class B misdemeanor, eliciting a $500 fine and 90 days in jail. Megan Meier was targeted by the parents of a friend she had fallen out with who pretended to be a local boy who was interested in her.

However, after gaining her trust, they made their fictional boy turn on her with hateful messages. She committed suicide on October 16th, 2006. Over a year later no criminal charges have been filed against those responsible, despite an extensive FBI investigation into the matter. The mayor of Dardenne Prairie, Pam Fogarty, said that she found it "astounding" that no charges have yet been brought in the case.

Cool Looking Wooden Car. For Real!

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Communication company teams with Mexican pop stars RDB

Verizon has allied itself with the Mexican pop phenomenon RBD to promote the band's recent record release.

Dubbed Empezar desde Cero, the album is one of the most highly-anticipated on the Mexican pop scene. Verizon is to host the band during its 2008 US tour at its stores for autograph signings and will also host performances.

Ed Ruth, director of digital music for Verizon Wireless: "Verizon Wireless' relationship with RBD began last year when the company hosted a private performance at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium. "This year we are building on that relationship to bring exclusive RBD music to Verizon Wireless customers."

At the moment the band's smash-hit new single Inalcanzable is available through Verizon's V CAST Music. Also, fans of the band can download ringtones of the band's songs from Verizon. RBD has so far sold 10.4 million albums around the globe.

For information on other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

Security 'vital' to telecommunications

An IBM survey has found that the issue of security is to be of utmost importance for telecommunication companies in the future.

The survey, dubbed 2007 State of Security for Global Telecommunications Carriers, found that rather than being a hindrance to rolling out new technology, security could enhance it. Only 36 per cent of internet companies surveyed reported that security issues slowed the roll-out of IP services. Counse Broders, senior research director, telecom services with Current Analysis, said: "This survey shows what the market is already experiencing from recent mergers and acquisitions, including Verizon/Cybertrust and IBM/ISS: that security is a key ingredient for carriers as they move into next generation services and solutions.

"Clearly, those providers without a security solution in place risk losing their competitive edge." Less than half the companies that plan to IP-based networks in the near future have technology in place to address the security concerns that such networks bring.

For information on digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

Internet game teaches children safety

The UN Internet governance forum that is going on in Rio de Janeiro saw a new game unveiled to teach children how to stay away from sex predators on the internet.

Dubbed Wild Web Woods, the game uses the vehicle of traditional fairytales to instruct children on avoiding dangers. The game, the creation of the Council of Europe, is to be released on the internet in English and then in 12 other European languages. According to the council, which is made up of 47 nations, the game is "key" in its efforts to foil sexual predators.

Cheryl Preston, a law professor at Brigham Young University in Utah, was quoted by the AFP as saying: "In many developing countries, the drive to train a new generation in technology skills as a foray into global commerce has produced an epidemic of pornography addiction that parents have no idea how to address."

The UN forum is also addressing the role of the US in regulating the Internet. For more information on digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

Yahoo! settles with Chinese journalists

Internet giant Yahoo! has settled with attorneys working on the behalf of several jailed Chinese journalists.

It was alleged that Yahoo! gave the Chinese government information that led to the arrest and imprisonment of journalists Shi Tao, Yu Ling and Wang Xiaoning. Following the settlement the lawsuit was withdrawn from the federal court for the Northern District of California. The court filing said: "Plaintiffs and defendants hereby jointly stipulate to dismissal with prejudice of all claims made in this action, based on a private settlement understanding among the parties."

Recently during a congressional hearing the chief executive of Yahoo!, Jerry Yang, was severely criticized by the California Democrat Representative Tom Lantos over the matter. Yang was made to publicly apologise to the family of Shi Tao, who were present at the hearing. Shi Tao has been sentenced to a decade in prison after email information about the Chinese government's efforts to stifle recognition of the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. For information on digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

Windows bug fixed by Microsoft

In its latest monthly patch release, Microsoft has patched a Windows bug that was deemed "critical" and has possibly been being exploited by cyber criminals.

The MS07-061 patch fixes an important flaw in Windows' Uniform Resource Identifier, which is involved in Windows' process for passing information between applications. Ben Greenbaum, a senior research manager at Symantec, told the Associated Press that the security flaw is "concerning". By taking advantage of the security flaw, cyber criminals could take over a victim's computer and steal crucial information such as passwords and financial information. Once infected, the victim's computer could also be used to disseminate spam.

This month unusually saw only two patches released, the other of which was deemed "important", the second-highest level of security rating for a patch. The second patch is for those with computers running the Windows 2000 Server and the Windows Server 2003.

Zachary Quinto The NEW Spock

Here is the first photo taken of Zachary Quinto who will play Spock in JJ Abrams new Star Trek movie.

Verizon reaches landmark in New Jersey

Verizon has installed its fibre-optic broadband service FiOS in more than one million homes in New Jersey, the company has announced.

And in 2008, Verizon has forecast that it will install the service in an additional 400,000 homes in the state. The announcement came as Verizon opened its brand new fiber solutions customer service center in Freehold. By the end of next year Verizon expects approximately 400 people to be working at the center.

Verizon chairman and chief executive Ivan Seidenberg said: "New Jersey is now among the most-fibered states in the nation." The expanded FiOS service will give New Jersey an "economic boost", added Mr Seidenberg.

Verizon's FiOS service is the first fiber optics network to be rolled out on large scale in the US, the company claims. Fiber-optic communications were first developed in the 1970s and work by transmitting information using light traveling along optical fiber.

Internet-based TV series debuts

The popular social networking site MySpace has debuted its internet TV series, Quarterlife, which follows the activities of a group of 20-somethings.

Quarterlife is the brainchild of the creators of My So-Called Life, Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick. The creative duo has come up with 36 episodes of the series, each lasting eight minutes each, to be shown on MySpaceTV. In his review of the show, LA Times writer Robert Lloyd said: "In terms of production, acting and subtlety of intention, it's miles beyond any drama yet mounted on the internet." But despite this, he added that "there is something slightly off about their take on Generation Text-Me; it feels rooted in magazine clippings rather than actual experience."

Meanwhile, the Hollywood writer's strike continues apace. Various TV stars, including Eva Longoria and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, have backed the Writer's Guild in their demands for a greater proportion of internet and DVD profits.
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
For information on digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

Vodafone signs up to Nokia services

Mobile services giant Vodafone has signed up to Nokia's suite of mobile internet services, it has been announced.

Under the deal, Vodafone customers will be able to access the Finnish company's Ovi platform, including its music service, and Vodafone will have exclusive access to certain future models of Nokia phones. New Nokia phones feature 3G services, consisting of high-speed broadband networks which allow users to check email and surf the internet.

A press release from Vodafone stated: "Vodafone and Nokia will make it easier to access the Internet quickly at the click of a button. "Customers will get the full suite of communications, content, internet services and browsing, through seamlessly integrated Vodafone services on Nokia handsets." Currently Vodafone is the world's largest supplier of mobile phone services and Nokia is the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones.

Vodafone now has 232 million subscribers to its services worldwide.

Student hackers charged

After being charged with hacking into their university records and changing their grades, two students could face up to 20 years in prison.

John Escalera, 29, allegedly set up false accounts in the name of the registrar and academic records coordinator in Fresno State's database and changed his grades and that of his friend Gustavo Razo Jr, 28. Both students are now facing charges of wire fraud and identity theft. They have both entered guilty pleas.

The indictment against them read: "In or about the summer of 2003 officials at Fresno State ran a routine audit. "During this routine audit, university officials noticed discrepancies between the two systems in terms of grades. In January 2005, a greater audit was performed by Fresno State based on information received from the first audit." Escalera worked in the Fresno State Information Technology Help Center, a position which gave him access to the university's database.

For more information on digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

'Most' of US now online

The number of Internet users in the US has been growing rapidly over the last year, a recent Harris Poll has discovered.

There are now approximately 178 million Americans online, which is a ten percent increase on the number last year. A full 79 percent of adults in the US are online, or one in every five. And now 72 percent of adults have internet access at home, compared to 70 percent last year and 66 percent in 2005.

Harris Interactive stated in the poll: "As internet penetration continues to grow, the demographic profile of users continues to look more like that of the nation as a whole. "It is still true that more young than older people and more affluent than low-income people, are online, but nine per cent of those online are now age 65 or over, compared with 16 per cent of all adults who are 65 or over."

Approximately 39 percent of the Americans who are going online have never been to a university and 13 percent earn less than $25,000.

For more information on digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

Writers strike over internet profits

Hollywood writers have begun a strike over what they see as unfairness concerning their share of internet and DVD profits.

Last-minute talks failed to establish an agreement between writers and studios and both the New York and Los Angeles chapters of the Writers Guild of America decided to strike. Studio bosses maintain that the writers' demands are disproportionate and would affect the development of new media. Patric Verrone, president of the western chapter of the guild, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying: "The studios made it clear that they would rather shut down this town than reach a fair and reasonable deal."

This is the first time in two decades that Hollywood writers have taken strike action. Film and television production are both threatened by the strike. In 1988 writers went on strike for 22 weeks, which ended up costing the film and television industry approximately $500 million.

AT&T and Motorola unveil Moto Q

Communication giant AT&T and Motorola have released the Moto Q handset, which the companies claim is the first "globally capable" device.

The Moto Q offers download speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps and has a built-in GPS as well as a 2.0 megapixel camera. Users of the Moto Q can use the smart device to check email and browse the web in 135 different countries across the globe.

Juergen Stark, corporate vice president, Productivity, Motorola Mobile Devices, said: "Staying connected, informed and entertained is becoming a way of life for busy professionals and consumers. "With AT&T, the Moto Q global delivers unparalleled download speeds, on-board memory, messaging, processing power and voice quality, all packaged within a sleek design for the modern consumer."

Moto Q uses Windows Mobile 6 which allows users to view text and images on the internet as they would appear on their PC. Last year Motorola reported a revenue of $41.2 billion.

Google stock rises

Shares in the search engine giant Google rose past $700 yesterday, a rise of more than $100 in less than one month.

Much of the performance is based on investors' enthusiasm for Google's expansion into the mobile wireless market. This will make it possible for Google to deliver advertisements to people's mobile devices, which could prove extremely lucrative.

Scott Kessler, an analyst at Standard & Poor's, told the International Herald Tribune: "One of the reasons that Google has been such a success story is not only because it has taken market share from its competitors, but also to some extent it has created new opportunities and new markets." Now Google's stock is up among the rarefied atmosphere of the top five companies in the US, including Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway.

Google's founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page both now have an estimated fortune of $20 billion each.