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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 08 Issue 09
Volume 8, Issue 9 Atari Online News, Etc. March 3, 2006
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2006
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips"
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame"
With Contributions by:
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0809 03/03/06
~ Ask Jeeves Boots Butler ~ People Are Talking! ~ Portable "Origami"!
~ New Backup Software! ~ China To Have Own Web? ~ Lara Croft: Legend!
~ EU Warns Microsoft! ~ Crackdown On MySpace! ~ AOL Sues Phishers!
~ SEC Busts Ponzi Scam! ~ The Fourth Estate Dead ~ DSL Price War?
-* Six Versions of Windows Vista *-
-* Renowned Doc Duped In Nigerian Scam *-
-* Symantec Service Rates Threats for Users! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Well, knowing Joe, he's probably cursing Mother Nature about now. We were
warned of another winter wind and snow blast crossing over to our area on
Thursday, but no one was sure exactly where the storm would hit - a little
north or south of Boston was the predicted path. All week, it's been
bitterly cold, and windy. But, it's February, and typical for New England
weather. So, watching the news Wednesday night, I heard that were likely
going to get hit with a few inches of snow because the weather system was
heading just south of us. Well, while at work on Thursday, I got a call
from one of my vendors. He actually called for work-related issues, but
because he lives in a golf course community on Cape Cod, he always rubs it
in that someone is always out on the course playing a round. Well, when he
called today, the first thing that he asked was whether or not we had a
psychiatric unit where I worked. He explained by telling me that he was
looking out his living room window (it faces the 3rd hole!), and someone was
out on the course...in a white-out of snow! Golfers are fanatically
addicted to the game! Don't tell anyone, but I love golf too! So much
these days that a few of us are planning to weather the cold and attend a
golf expo this weekend!
So anyway, back to the snowstorm and Joe's deafening cursing... The snow
never made it far enough north to hit Boston, much less the 25 miles further
north to my neck of the woods. However, down Joe's way (yes, he's a couple
of hundred miles south of me), they're getting hit pretty good! So, while
Joe is shoveling out (or his landlord is!), I'll be up here, with no snow to
worry about, and thinking of buying some new golf clubs, and planning on
what golf course to try first this year!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
joe@atarinews.org
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Before we get to the UseNet stuff,
I'd like to pose a question to you.
Do you remember when journalists were special people? You know what
I mean. Do you remember a time when journalists stood as something
special? When there was very little question about their motives
and their honesty? Cronkite, Brinkley, Murrow, and even Winchel
stood as the highest incarnation of the forth estate. Their word
held sway with millions upon millions of people, upper, middle,
and lower class, kings and politicians, conservatives and
liberals. They were half Hemingway, half Mark Twain, and ALL
integrity. When they said something was so, we knew that it was
so. There was no question about it. That's simply the way it was.
The forth estate. Do you know what that's all about? Well, I don't
remember the finer details anymore, but in England there were
considered to be three "estates" to british government: The Crown
was the first estate, the House of Lords was the second, and the
House of Commons, the third. The idea was that there was another
portion of government that was as important as the others... the
media was called the forth estate because it was as instrumental
as the real three estates in ensuring that things were done fairly
and honestly.
So what the hell happened??? Our journalists today are often little
more than hangers for designer suits and makeup... half runway
model, half failed rock star. Gone, I'm afraid, are the likes of
Murrow and Cronkite. Those who knew the worth of and the need for
standing not only for excellence in their field, but for integrity
and truth and for taking the hard way every so often... just to
keep themselves honest.
No, it's not coincidence that I mention Murrow. No more than the
movie 'Good Night and Good Luck' appearing now is coincidence. The
subject matter is germane to our current situation, and we need
to pay attention to it. Those who forget the past are doomed to
repeat it. And, just between you and me, that's one rerun we can
all do without.
Now let's get to the news, hints, tips and info available from the
UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
'Joe Iron' asks:
"Is Warp 9 available to download somewhere?"
Edward Baiz tells Joe:
"I have seen demos on the Net for download. It would seem that you
should be able to get it as it is an old program. You might try
searching for Quick ST which also worked very well. There are some
others on the Net that worked pretty good on the ST."
Joe replies:
"Thank you for your help. I found only one useful link: on one of
the pompey pirates disk (77) there is quick st v2.21. If you can
give me a link to a more recent version, please..."
Edward tells him:
"Actually that version you have is newer than mine. My version
actually ran pretty darn good for me. But you must realize that
Quick ST later became Warp 9 which made the ST ran a little bit
faster."
Ronald Hall asks for help with his CD burner:
Hey guys. I'm having trouble with a Yamaha CDRW.
All I tried to do was swap it out with an existing (older - non
working burner, but CD works fine) Plextor in my Atari setup that
runs my BBS.
Its HDDriver v8.15 and ExtenDOS Pro v3.4. I set the Yamahas jumpers
to the same as the Plextor, ID2, Parity, not terminated. I have a
termination block on the end of the SCSI chain.
I tried this Yamaha on my CT60 Falcon and it works fine there,
including burning CDs.
So what happens when I turn it on, hooked up to my Mega 4ST and the
ICD Link2 is I get this:
HDDriver v8.15
copyright notice
Seagate HD specs
Yamaha CDRW specs
then 3 bombs. Always 3 bombs. I thought maybe ExtenDOS was doing
something strange so I disabled it in the auto folder but it still
does it.
Anyone have any thoughts, suggestions? Remember, this is a drive
that works fine in my Falcon, and going into a setup that works
fine with a Plextor CD."
Djuro Pucaric asks Ronald:
"did you try writing in hddriver.sys to bypass cdr drive?
(I think with hdutils.app)"
Rodolphe Czuba adds:
"SCSI parity is not managed by ACSI-SCSI adaptors as I well
remember even for ICD! Remove the parity check on SCSI drives!"
Ronald tells Rodolphe:
"Hmm, I can try that - but I've always used SCSI on all my STs with
Parity *on*.
Keep in mind, the existing setup with a Plextor drive uses Parity
on. So does my Falcon setup. Further, that same Yamaha drive with
Parity on worked with my Falcon setup. I can even pull the CDR
from my Falcon, plug it into the Mega ST setup and other than
changing termination, it works fine.
I'm sure its just some odd little thing somewhere. Just don't know
what.
I even went so far as to try this; I took my Mega ST - going to the
ICD Link2 - then straight to the Yamaha drive with nothing else. I
booted up from the original HDDriver v8.15 floppy. Guess what?
Just as soon as it recognizes the Yamaha drive, 3 bombs.
I will try it with parity off though, and report back."
'Atarian90' adds:
"I agree with Rudolphe. Disable parity. It's really not need on
the ST.
I believe the other reason the Yamaha CDRW doesn't work with the
MegaST4 and ICD Link 2 is because the Yamaha CDRWs use SCSI
arbitration. Only the Link97 supports this. The Falcon and TT
also support parity and SCSI arbitration. That's why it works on
your Falcon."
Ronald now says:
"Okay, I can confirm that HDDriver and this drive apparently do not
get along on my Mega ST4.
I disabled everything in my AUTO folder, disabled all CPXs and
ACCs, and HDDriver 3 bombs right after recognizing the drive. :-(
I've got an older version of HDDriver, v7.61, so I tried it - it
doesn't crash, but you can't get anything to work either.
I tried both versions by booting from the original HDDriver floppy
disks as well. Again, v8.15 3 bombs right after it recognizes the
drive, and v7.61 gives some weird stuff on screen then exits out
to a desktop that only has the A/B icons on it, no C icon for the
HD.
Its so odd because this drive works with HDDriver on my CT60
Falcon.
I'll admit, I'm stumped right now.
In case it helps, here is my setup:
Atari Mega ST4 (TOS 1.4/Adspeed)
|
ICD The Link 2
|
Syquest EZ135 drive SCSI
|
Seagate 4 gig hard drive SCSI (external case)
|
Plextor CDR SCSI (same external case)
|
Termination block on back of same case (ends SCSI chain).
Keep in mind this setup works great. When I swap the Plextor out
for the Yamaha, thats when the problems begin. But the Yamaha
works great on my CT60 Falcon with both HDDriver and ExtenDOS
Pro."
'Simon' tells Ronald:
"The version of HDDriver doesn't make a difference. Your host
adapter does not support the SCSI features that the Yamaha drive,
and possibly newer drives, require.
You need to use a Link97 at least.
The fact it works on the Falcon is because the Falcon supports
SCSI2 natively."
Ronald now asks about setting the time on his CT60:
"Okay, while testing some software I figured out that my CT60
Falcon is not holding the time/date. Its booting up somewhere in
1971. Worse, I can use Xcontrol to set the time and date and it
won't even hold with the machine turned on! That is odd. I can see
it changing between starts, but even while the machine is running?
Is a dead battery the most likely culprit? If so, what's the easiest
way to add a new one. It doesn't look as easy as changing the
batteries on my MOkay, while testing some software I figured out
that my CT60 Falcon is not holding the time/date. Its booting up
somewhere in 1971. Worse, I can use Xcontrol to set the time and
date and it won't even hold with the machine turned on! That is
odd. I can see it changing between starts, but even while the
machine is running?
Is a dead battery the most likely culprit? If so, what's the easiest
way to add a new one. It doesn't look as easy as changing the
batteries on my Mega ST4.ega ST4."
'Chris' tells Ronald:
"The battery is a RTC also... have you tried to clear the NV ram?
that seems to be the cause of most silly things like that... might
have been corrupted?"
Ronald replies:
"Nope. What's the best way to go about that? I've got a CT60, so is
there any special considerations because of that?"
Chris tells Ronald:
"I do not think CT60 effects the clock, you need a program to clear
the NVram, There are plenty around in the PD, you could try a
search though floppyshops utils there will be loads of programs in
there... I do not know of any utils offhand, didn't CT60 have a
option somewhere to clear NVram?
Not saying it is that but worth a try... maybe rodolphe could help
you better with that..."
Rodolphe Czuba hears his name and jumps in to tell Ronald:
"There is CBOOT to clear and set the NVRAM.
CBOOT is inside the CT2.ZIP package on my web site.
But the Time/date function cannot be corrupted by software ...
software can corrupt NVRAM...but the RTC is independent...
The test is simple : Put the correct time & date....turn OFF....
Wait for 1 minute at least...
Turn ON....if the date/time is stupid, the battery is dead...
Nothing to say more!
Now you can remove it (unsolder) and solder a new one for 10 more
years ...
Buy it for 11 $ at BEST Electronics (San Jose CA)!
So simple too.."
Well folks, that's it for this week. Tune in again next week, same
time, same station. Good night, good luck, and be ready to listen
to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" '24: The Game" Ships!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend
Tomb Raider: Legend revives the athletic, intelligent and entertaining
adventurer who won the hearts and minds of gamers worldwide. Lara comes
alive with intricately animated expressions, moves and abilities. An
arsenal of modern equipment, such as a magnetic grappling device,
binoculars, frag grenades, personal lighting device and communications
equipment, allows gamers to experience tomb raiding as never before.
Eidos and Crystal Dynamics shaped Lara's look and movements to be an
inherent extension of her skills, motivation and personality. Lara's
character model features natural structure, realistic textures, detailed
facial features, reactive eyes and fluid motion, all of which make her part
of a living environment.
New character animations and controls allow her to move through stunning
environments with grace and precision, while an understanding of the game's
original appeal reinvigorates the fundamental explore-and-solve adventure
experience.
Tomb Raider: Legend is slated for release on the PlayStation 2 computer
entertainment system, PC and the Xbox video game system from Microsoft.
24: The Game Ships For Playstation 2
2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.,
announced that 24: The Game - the action title based on the hit Fox
television series "24" starring Kiefer Sutherland - has shipped to retail
stores across North America. 24: The Game is available exclusively for the
PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.
24: The Game features an unprecedented level of involvement from the team
behind the groundbreaking television series. Many key actors and actresses
from the series provided their likenesses and voice talents to 24: The Game
including Kiefer Sutherland, Elisha Cuthbert and Carlos Bernard. In
addition, the game's storyline has been written in collaboration with
series story editor and staff writer Duppy Demetrius, with music composed
by Sean Callery, an Emmy award-winner for his work on 24.
"24: The Game delivers all the action and excitement you would expect to
see in the hit 24 television series," said Christoph Hartmann, Managing
Director for 2K Games. "It is an intense gaming experience with the same
race-against-the-clock tension the show is well known for. 24: The Game
also provides a valuable back story to the events happening between seasons
two and three."
Elie Dekel, Executive Vice President, Fox Licensing and Merchandising, "I
don't think there's another show out there that's better suited for a video
game. Thanks to the contributions of the series star, Kiefer Sutherland, as
well as the series' story editor and composer, this exciting video game
promises to be authentically true to the television show and will delight
even the most critical fan."
24: The Game enables gamers to take on multiple roles from the show
including Jack Bauer, Tony Almeida and Chase Edmunds as they complete more
than 50 solo and team-based missions that feature elements such as
shooting, stealth and puzzle-based gameplay along with the ability to
interrogate captured enemies to obtain vital information. The game
designers have also incorporated many of the series' distinctive visual and
audio features, including its innovative use of split-screen windows for
simultaneous plot developments and a constant race against the 24-hour
clock.
Offered exclusively for the PlayStation 2, 24: The Game is rated M for
mature and will be available at retail stores across North America for a
suggested retail price of $39.99.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Microsoft To Offer 6 Versions of Windows Vista
Microsoft Corp. plans six core offerings of its upcoming Windows Vista
operating system, targeting how people use computers instead of PC hardware
specifications, the company said on Monday.
The world's largest software maker plans three offerings aimed at
consumers, two at business users and a stripped-down edition for emerging
markets. Unlike the current Windows XP, there will no versions designed
specifically for advanced 64-bit computing, multimedia computers or Tablet
PCs.
"We're delivering the exact same number of offerings as in Windows XP, but
the big difference is that each of those offerings are targeted differently
with a different set of features," said Barry Goffe, director of
Microsoft's Windows client product marketing.
Windows Vista, due out in the second half of 2006, is the much-anticipated
upgrade to Microsoft's flagship product. Windows, which is found in about
90 percent of all computer desktops, is also one of Microsoft's earnings
cash cows.
The company, which accidentally posted some details of the Vista product
lineup on one of its Web sites earlier in the month, has promised that
Vista will feature improved security, simplified search across the desktop
and a cleaner interface.
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft expects Windows Vista Home Premium to
be the mainstream consumer product, allowing users to record and watch
high-definition television, burn and author DVDs and perform other
multimedia functions.
It also incorporates Tablet PC technology to decipher handwriting to let
users write notes on the computer.
Vista Home Premium will be the middle option for consumers, sandwiched
between the high-end Windows Vista Ultimate, which also includes
business-oriented features, and a bare-bones Windows Vista Home Basic
without the multimedia capabilities.
For business users, Microsoft plans Windows Vista Business for small and
medium-sized businesses that may not have a information technology support
staff.
Windows Vista Enterprise will be aimed at large, global companies with
encryption features to protect information even if a computer is stolen
and tools to enable compatibility with applications designed for older
operating systems.
All the versions for consumers and businesses are available for both
32-bit or 64-bit computer systems. Sixty-four-bit processors can crunch
twice as many bits of information at one time as the more prevalent 32-bit
processors.
Microsoft will also offer a version of Vista Home Basic and Vista Business
without a Windows Media Player in Europe to comply with European Union
antitrust rulings.
Symantec's New Consumer Backup Software
Symantec announced new backup and recovery software aimed at consumers
Monday. Called Norton Save & Restore, the software is due to ship in late
March.
More home users are creating and storing increasing amounts of digital
content such as photos and music. In order to protect this content against
malware as well as hardware and software outages, consumers who may have
never previously considered backing up their computers are looking for
technology options.
Symantec designed the Norton Save & Restore software to be easy to install
and set up, with a focus on automating many features, according to a press
release. The product includes predefined backups of common folders and file
types. Users can choose how backups take place - prearranged ahead of time,
on-demand, or event-driven - and they can also encrypt and password-protect
their backup files.
Consumers also have the option to use Symantec's Norton Ghost disk imaging
software to create an exact image of their entire hard drive without having
to reboot their computers.
The estimated retail price for Norton Save & Restore is $69.99. The
software can be preordered and, in late March, also will be available in
retail stores.
Symantec made two other announcements Monday.
The company said it will start to ship a new range of its Gateway Security
appliances for small to midsize businesses (SMBs). For its enterprise
customers, Symantec is launching its Intelligent Archiving Partner program,
an initiative with third-party firms designed to give corporations more
detailed information about the content and context of what's in their data
stores.
Through the program, customers will be able to integrate Symantec's
Enterprise Vault archiving software with ECM (enterprise content
management) and records management products from an initial four
firms-Hummingbird, Interwoven, MDY, and Stellent. Symantec's aim is to
eventually partner with all the leading ECM vendors, the release stated.
Microsoft Touts PC-like Portable "Origami" Device
A new portable media device that allows users to listen to music, play
video games, browse the Internet and jot hand-written notes is the initial
vision of a product in development by Microsoft Corp. and its partners, the
software giant said on Monday.
Microsoft acknowledged that an early version of its new hand-held PC-like
device was featured in a video on the Web site for marketing firm Digital
Kitchen.
"While Origami is a concept we've been working on with partners, please
know that the video seen on Digital Kitchen's Web site is a year old and
represents our initial exploration into this form factor, including
possible uses and scenarios," a Microsoft spokesman said.
While some media reports flagged the product as a possible rival to Apple
Computer Inc.'s iPod digital music player or Sony Corp.'s PlayStation
Portable game device, "Origami" seemed to incorporate more functions and
appeared to be much larger than those gadgets.
The company declined to disclose details about the device, including when
it might be available for sale, but it said there would be announcements
over the coming weeks.
The device appeared to be a tablet PC, a notebook-shaped computer that
allows users to write with a digital pen to input text on handwriting
recognition software. It was about the size of a oversized post-card.
The video showed young people using the "Origami" device to sketch
pictures, use a map with global positioning satellite technology, listen
to digital music and play "Halo," a popular Microsoft video game.
It was not immediately clear whether the product would be a
Microsoft-branded device or if the software giant would simply provide
software and services. Microsoft would not reveal the identity of its
partners on the project.
Microsoft started to generate buzz about the device when the Web site
www.origamiproject.com registered to the company touted an unknown product
with cryptic messages like "do you know me?" and "do you know what I can
do?"
The Web site promised to disclose more information on Thursday, but
Microsoft said there will be no announcement this week about "Origami."
Intentional or not, the mysterious marketing campaign fueled speculation
and rumors usually reserved for Apple and its ultra-secretive new product
announcements.
AOL Sues Groups Under Anti-Phishing Law
America Online is taking advantage of a first-of-its-kind anti-"phishing"
law in Virginia to sue three international groups that allegedly stole
information from unsuspecting AOL users by sending e-mail that appeared to
be legitimate messages from the company.
AOL's three lawsuits, filed Monday in federal court in Alexandria, Va.,
seek $18 million for the unit of Time Warner Inc.
The suits allege that the 30 phishers, who have not yet been identified by
name, violated the 2005 Virginia anti-phishing act, which covers AOL
because it is based in Dulles, Va. The suits also cite federal computer
fraud law and the Lanham Act, which protects trademarks.
The phishers cited in the suits are accused of sending tens of thousands
of e-mails and setting up Web sites that purportedly were from AOL
customer service.
AOL spokesman Nicholas Graham said it was unclear how many members were
ensnared, but he said the victims gave up screen names, passwords and
financial information. The phishers are believed to be part of a
multinational network spanning the United States, Germany and Romania.
These lawsuits follow similar efforts by AOL and other Internet service
providers to go after e-mail spam artists and online scammers.
Last March, for example, Microsoft Corp. filed 117 federal lawsuits against
alleged phishers. AOL has won at least 35 such cases for tens of millions
of dollars, according to Graham.
SEC Shuts Down $50 Million Online Hustle
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed fraud charges
against the owner of an "autosurf" Web site, accusing Charis Johnson, 33,
of operating a $50 million Ponzi scam from which she snagged some $2
million to fill her own coffers.
Filed in Los Angeles federal court, the suit alleges that Johnson, a
resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, operated a Ponzi scheme via
www.12dailypro.com. The scheme, according to the SEC complaint, netted
Johnson a whopping $50 million from the more than 300,000 members who
joined up since the middle of 2005.
"The defendants falsely represented that upgraded members earnings 'are
financed not only [by] incoming member fees, but also with multiple income
streams including advertising and off-site investments,'" the SEC alleges.
"In fact, at least 95 percent of 12daily Pro's revenues have come from new
investments in the form of membership fees from new or existing members."
The SEC has frozen $1.9 million that Johnson transferred to her personal
bank account along with other 12daily Pro assets.
In January, StormPay, Johnson's payment provider, discontinued the Web
site's payment services after it began to suspect the site was involved in
an illegal scheme. Shortly afterward, the payment site allegedly was the
victim of a denial-of-service (DoS) attack that took it offline for two
days.
According to the Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee, StormPay
received the greatest number of complaints in the first six weeks of 2006
than any other business in the Middle Tennessee or Southern Kentucky
region.
In statements, Johnson denied any misconduct and placed the blame on a
payment dispute with StormPay. She also claimed that her autosurf site was
completely legit.
"Let me assure you, had they deemed this to be a scam, I would not be
chatting with your right now. I would be in custody," Johnson said shortly
after the FBI announced that an investigation had begun. In a blog posting,
Johnson claimed that the SEC never interviewed her or examined 12daily
Pro's data before filing the charges.
The FBI began its investigation of 12daily Pro's claims of extravagant
returns of member's investments less than two weeks ago. Johnson promised
investors they could earn as much as a 44 percent return on their
investment in only 12 days simply by reading advertisements on the
Internet.
Dubbed a "paid autosurf" scam by the SEC, the scheme required members to
purchase "units" at $6 a pop and look at advertisements that would rotate
automatically in a member's Web browser. The advertisers supposedly pay
the "host," in this case 12daily Pro, that would then pay its members.
The SEC's complaint alleges that 12daily Pro solicited investors to become
upgraded members by purchasing the "units." The company promised to pay
each upgraded member 12 percent of the membership fee per day for 12 days.
At the end of that roughly two week period, the member would have realized
a 144 percent return, with a profit of 44 percent on the original
membership fee. To receive the fee, members had to agree to view at least
12 Web pages per day during the 12 day period.
According to the SEC, payments that members believed were generated from
these paid advertisements actually consisted almost entirely of payments
made by other members of the service, which is a classic Ponzi scheme.
"Paid autosurf programs have become an enormous industry on the Internet,"
said Randall R. Lee, director of the SEC's Pacific office, in a statement.
"When these schemes depend on attracting new members in order to pay
returns to current members, they are destined to collapse."
In the statement, Lee urged the public to exercise extreme caution before
investing in any get-rich-quick scheme.
Symantec Service Rates Threats for Consumers
Symantec unveiled on Feb. 28 a free service to warn home computer users
about risks spreading over e-mail, the Web, file sharing and instant
messaging networks.
The Symantec Internet Threat Meter uses data from the company's Global
Intelligence Network to rate Internet threats from low to high risk.
The new meter rates the risk of activities such as using e-mail or Web
surfing based on the prevalence of high-risk threats and attacks using
those mediums. For example, extremely high volumes of phishing and spam
attacks or a critical e-mail client vulnerability would push the e-mail
threat rating to "high risk," whereas a spike in adware and spyware would
lift the risk rating for Web activities, Symantec said.
The meter is intended to alert consumers to the online threat environment
and to attacks that may be stealthy and more targeted than in past years,
Symantec said.
However, the new Internet Threat Meter provides little detail beyond a
basic risk rating. On Feb. 28, for example, Symantec rated e-mail activity
a "medium risk" and advised e-mail users to exercise "extra caution,"
despite "no high priority malicious code employing e-mail as a propagation
vector." Web activities were deemed a "low risk," despite the observation
that there are "multiple exploits available for recently patched
vulnerabilities in various Microsoft client side software," and that "users
could be affected by simply browsing to a Web site."
Other companies and organizations also offer threat meters for consumers.
ESET Software's Virus Radar Web site provides extensive information on the
top online virus threats and historical threat trends-in four languages.
The SANS Institute's Internet Storm Center also provides detailed
information on a wide range of Internet threats and trend information. ISC
culls information from intrusion sensors deployed around the world and is
used by technical experts and system administrators.
The granddaddy of free online threat monitoring sites is the Talisker
Security Wizardry Portal, which is designed for government and military
networks. Talisker streams real-time information from Symantec and DShield
(the same IDS network used by ISC), as well as open-source information from
news outlets, etc.
The Talisker portal recently surfaced in the background of a White House
photo depicting President Bush addressing staff at the National Security
Agency.
EU Warns Microsoft It Must Change Course
Microsoft Corp. will be fined if it keeps up its current conduct, the EU's
antitrust chief warned Thursday after the company accused the EU of
withholding documents and colluding with Microsoft's rivals before filing
charges last December.
"If we pursue the line we are following now, there will be fines and they
won't be small fines," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told Dow
Jones Newswires.
The EU has threatened euro2 million ($2.4 million) in daily fines,
backdated to Dec. 15, unless the company obeys a 2004 antitrust order to
provide competitors with the information needed to make their software work
with Microsoft servers.
Microsoft claims that it worked strenuously last autumn to meet the EU
demands and that regulators kept shifting the goalposts - something the
Commission firmly denies.
Speaking to Dutch business leaders in The Hague, Kroes said Microsoft could
still plead its case in a Commission hearing on March 30 and 31 before the
EU decides to impose fines.
"We will listen to Microsoft and their lawyers and after that we will reach
a decision as soon as possible," she said.
Microsoft alleged Thursday that regulators had "inappropriate contacts"
with rival companies and an independent monitor, Neil Barrett, known as
the "trustee" - which it said called into question the impartiality of
Barrett's report.
The EU based its December charges largely on Barrett's views that the
technical documentation Microsoft had supplied needed a drastic overhaul
to be workable.
"These contacts call into question whether the reports ... are really
independent, impartial assessments of Microsoft's technical documentation,
or instead are argumentative tracts developed for the Commission with the
assistance of Microsoft's competitors," said Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft's
associate general counsel in Europe.
The EU said it had no immediate comment on the content or admissibility of
what it called Microsoft's "supplementary response" to the charges.
Microsoft said the Commission has held back documents - in particular
correspondence between EU officials, Barrett, other experts and rival
companies - that it believes is crucial to preparing its antitrust defense.
"Microsoft is entitled to learn the full extent to which the Commission may
have influenced the views expressed by the trustee," it said.
Gutierrez said correspondence between the Commission and four U.S. rivals
that it received on Feb. 13 show that the Commission, the trustee, and
Microsoft's adversaries were secretly collaborating throughout the fall of
2005 "in a manner inconsistent with the Commission's role as neutral
regulator and the trustee's role as independent monitor."
The company said many of these contacts were not recorded in the antitrust
case file and so were shielded from Microsoft's view.
Microsoft's lawyer wrote to the Commission last month to say it was aware
EU officials were in contact with Sun Microsystems Inc., IBM Corp., Oracle
Corp. and Novell Inc., all of which license the communications code at the
heart of the dispute.
Microsoft claimed the Commission also facilitated secret meetings between
Barrett and "another of Microsoft's adversaries" that it did not name,
saying it offered to help Barrett fly to Texas for the meeting.
The software company also complained that this correspondence was supplied
to it just two days before a deadline to respond to the EU charges - too
late for it to give it proper consideration.
The EU levied a record euro 497 million (US$613 million) fine against
Microsoft in 2004. It also ordered the company to share code with rivals
and offer a version of Windows without the Media Player software.
Microsoft is appealing the ruling and the case will be heard in April by
the European Court of First Instance, the EU's second-highest court.
China Denies Plans To Split Internet
Recent reports that China is creating its own version of the Internet are
being denied by the country's China Internet Network Information Center. In
news reports from Beijing, the CNNIC has clarified that there is no
separate Chinese Internet in the works, and no new top-level domains.
The misunderstanding came as a result of an article in the China People's
Daily, which noted that the country's Ministry of Information Industry had
changed China's domain-name system. Supposedly, China was working on its
own top-level domains that would parallel .com, .net, and others.
The article stated that Chinese Internet users would be able to access an
Internet not managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN).
Analysts expressed worry that such a shift not only would give China even
greater control over censoring content from its Internet users, but also
would lead to domain-routing headaches for ICANN, VeriSign, and others
responsible for maintaining the integrity of the domain-name system.
As soon as the People's Daily article appeared, ICANN officials were told
by the CNNIC that there might have been a misunderstanding about work being
done with second-level domains as opposed to top-level domains like .com.
The new second-level domains, which are geared for China's provinces and
regions, still would appear under the three existing top-level domains of
.cn, .com, and .net. These top-level domains have been in place in China
since 2002.
In clarifying its new domain strategy, the CNNIC emphasized that China will
continue to operate under ICANN management, with no plans to bypass the
organization.
A recent proposal between ICANN and VeriSign, which would cause price
changes for domain names if it is accepted, came at the same time as the
reports of China seeking to develop its own Internet.
The two stories together could show growing unrest over ICANN's management
of the Internet.
"China wouldn't be alone in wanting something that isn't controlled by
ICANN," said John Berard, spokesperson for the Coalition for ICANN
Transparency. "Other countries have also expressed dissatisfaction with
the way things are being handled."
Even if the reports about China do prove to be untrue, many believe that
the current proposal with VeriSign will cause more scrutiny of ICANN, with
further discussion about how the Internet is controlled.
DSL Price War Helps Close Broadband Gap
Last year was the first in which telephone companies added more broadband
Internet subscribers than their cable TV rivals did, according to a
research report.
The largest DSL providers, which have been engaged in a price war that has
slashed promotional prices as low as $13 a month, added 5.2 million
subscribers in 2005, according to Leichtman Research Group's analysis of
company statements.
The major cable companies gained 4.4 million high-speed Internet
subscribers last year, for a total of 24.3 million. That means cable
retained a narrowing lead in total subscribers over the phone-line based
DSL technology, or digital subscriber line, which had 18.5 million
customers.
The numbers reflect the 20 largest broadband companies in the United
States, with 42.8 million total subscribers and about 94 percent of the
market. Bruce Leichtman, principal analyst at Leichtman Research, estimates
that around 35 million people are still using dial-up access.
The number of new cable broadband customers has been fairly stable each
year since 2002, while DSL growth has been accelerating. Meanwhile, the
overall phone vs. cable fight is becoming even more contested as phone
companies begin rolling out subscription TV services in some locations.
Prices for low-end and introductory DSL services were cut in half last
year, as SBC Communications, now AT&T Inc., introduced a one-year plan for
$15 which was matched by Verizon Communications Inc.
The phone companies hit the "grand slam" with those price plans in the
second half of the year, Leichtman said.
"The question is, do you want to keep doing that?" Leichtman asked.
Competing on price can be a dangerous game, he noted.
The price war has continued this year. Last month, AT&T introduced a
yearlong DSL contract for $13. When the contract runs out, the price jumps
to $30.
Cable companies typically charge $35 and up for broadband, while generally
offering higher download speeds than DSL providers.
The largest cable broadband providers in 2005 were Comcast Corp., with 8.5
million and Time Warner Cable with 4.8 million.
Among the telephone companies, the leader was AT&T with 6.9 million
broadband subscribers. Verizon had 5.1 million, which includes an
undisclosed but relatively small number of fiber-optic connections in
addition to DSL.
Renowned Doctor Duped in Internet Scam
A renowned psychiatrist lost up to $3 million over 10 years to a Nigerian
Internet scam, his son alleges in a lawsuit.
Dr. Louis A. Gottschalk, an 89-year-old neuroscientist who works at the
University of California, Irvine medical plaza that bears his name,
acknowledged losing $900,000 to "some bad investments," according to court
papers.
Guy Gottschalk filed a lawsuit last month asking a judge to remove his
father as administrator of the family's $8 million partnership. He alleges
his father sent the money to a scammer who promised the doctor a cut of a
huge sum of cash trapped in African bank accounts in exchange for money
advances.
He also alleges his father destroyed bank records to cover up his losses.
The younger Gottschalk claims in court papers he filed the suit to prevent
his father from being further victimized.
Louis Gottschalk accuses his son in legal documents of carrying out an
unspecified "vendetta" against him. Guy Gottschalk lost a bid last October
to have a conservator oversee the family partnership, documents show.
The Nigerian Internet scam is a long-running con that targets people with
e-mail accounts. Criminals send junk e-mail to thousands of unsuspecting
people offering them a share in a large fortune if they can only provide a
smaller amount of money up front. The criminal takes the money and then
disappears.
Louis Gottschalk gained prominence in 1987 by claiming that his studies of
President Reagan's speech patterns showed Reagan had been suffering from
diminished mental ability as early as 1980.
Schools Cracking Down on MySpace
Is it a virtual hangout for millions of American teenagers, like a
sprawling electronic shopping plaza, or a magnet for sexual predators and
pornographers?
MySpace.com is a bit of both, say Rhode Island education officials who have
banned the fast-growing teen social networking Web site from 80 percent of
their schools out of concern is was putting children at risk.
"There's a lot of personal information and things like that on
MySpace.com-a bit more than I'm comfortable with," said James Murphy,
assistant director of technology for the public schools in Coventry, Rhode
Island.
The Rhode Island Network for Educational Technology, a nonprofit that
handles Internet networks for the state's 36 public school districts, said
80 percent of the schools had requested an Internet filter to screen out
MySpace.com.
A blizzard of news headlines in national media have raised alarm with
parents and school authorities-from "Man arrested in MySpace.com teen-sex
case" to "Sex predators are stalking MySpace; is your teenager a target?"
and "Space Invaders."
School districts in Florida and several other states and private
universities have also installed filters on their Internet networks that
block the site, which media mogul Rupert Murdoch's News Corp bought for
$580 million in July.
MySpace.com, which boasts 56 million members, allows teenagers and young
adults to find friends and express themselves by posting profiles and
blogs, or Web journals covering everything from their favorite singers to
schoolwork and their sexual preferences and other intimate details.
In Connecticut, which borders Rhode Island, the state's attorney general,
Richard Blumenthal, is investigating a number of sexual assaults with links
to MySpace.
Authorities in Santa Cruz, California, arrested a 26-year-old in February
for felony child molestation after he met a 14-year-old on MySpace. In
other cases, MySpace.com has been used to threaten classmates.
"What could have been probably an innocent place for kids to meet has
turned almost to be everybody's nightmare," said Monique Nelson, executive
director of Web Wise Kids, a nonprofit Internet safety organization based
in California.
"I'm glad to see Rhode Island taking a stand. It's unfortunate because I
don't think the Web site was obviously originally designed to have things
like this happen," she said.
Elliot Krieger, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Department if Education,
said each school district can decide for itself whether to filter out
MySpace.com or other web sites that have adult or inappropriate content
for children.
The Rhode Island ban affects about 130,000 students while they are using
computers at school. But students were always one step ahead and finding
new ways to use the Internet or surfing sites like MySpace.com from home,
Murphy said.
"There is no filtering service that is going to be foolproof," he said.
"We try to keep on top of this and stay ahead but it's a challenge."
Pam Christman, director of technology programs and network services at the
Rhode Island Network for Educational Technology, said about 40 percent of
the state's schools had also sought bans on a long list of Web blogging
sites.
MySpace has said that its users have to be at least 14 years old and are
required to fill out an online form that includes their date of birth.
Ask Jeeves Boots the Butler
On Monday, search firm Ask Jeeves officially became Ask.com, with a new
main page, a new logo, a simplified interface, and several new tools
designed to cater to Internet-savvy users. The company also officially
dropped its Ask Jeeves mascot, a British-looking butler.
The company hopes to gain a foothold in the quickly moving search market
by providing a self-service approach to customers rather than continue with
its former direction of being a full-service search vendor.
"After ten years of dutifully serving a growing population of Internet
users, Jeeves decided to step down as the face of AskJeeves.com and retire
in style," a message on the Web site noted.
The retirement of the company's mascot is indicative, in some way, of how
search has evolved over the past decade. Jeeves was created as a way to
help new Internet users find information on the Web without feeling
intimidated.
Users were encouraged to type questions - such as "Where can I buy shoes
online?" - rather than use keyword terms like "online shoe store" to gain
access to the information they were seeking.
But as the Web has become more widely used, and most users have become
comfortable doing regular keyword searches on sites like Google and Yahoo,
the helping-hand approach of Ask Jeeves is no longer as needed as it was
back in 1996.
The change drove Ask Jeeves to focus on improving its search-engine
technology and give Jeeves "the opportunity to relax."
The new Ask.com boasts a do-it-yourself online toolbox designed to help
users refine different types of searches, including hunts for local
information and searches for files on their own desktops. There now are 20
types of search tools offered by Ask.com.
By creating tools that give users the ability to search with fewer clicks,
the company might be able to gain a usability advantage over rivals like
Google or MSN, which require several clicks to dig for specialized data.
Currently, the company is in fourth position in the search market.
"The company is trying to upgrade its image with the public, and not just
by losing Jeeves," said Yankee Group analyst Jennifer Simpson. "Changing
their logo is a big part of it, but they're also looking at more niche
search and other refinements."
In ousting Jeeves, though, Simpson noted that the company was smart in how
it made the transition, asking users to vote on his retirement plans, for
example. "They gave him a decent farewell," she said. "That was a nice bit
of branding on its own."
=~=~=~=
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