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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 08 Issue 06
Volume 8, Issue 6 Atari Online News, Etc. February 10, 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:
Kevin Savetz
Dan Iacovelli
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0806 02/10/06
~ Yahoo's New China Flap ~ People Are Talking! ~ New MPC STiK Out!
~ Spyware Threats Triple ~ 'Cyber Storm' Attacks! ~ eBay Evolving?
~ VGS Slogan Contest! ~ E-mail Senders Charges ~ Resident Evil 4!
~ MSN To Be Rebranded? ~ Europe Needs Security! ~ New Arena Football!
-* Microsoft Faces New EU Fines! *-
-* Broadband and Content Firms Fight! *-
-* Microsoft To Unveil Paid Security Service! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
I feel like I'm starting to sound like a broken record! This has been
another bad week. Life on the job just won't get any better. I'm even
seeing it in the faces of some of my peers, so it isn't just me! I can
usually handle routine stress fairly well, but this constant stuff can
really drain a person.
And to top it off, I was getting close to catching up with this week's issue
when the Falcon started acting up again. What I've been using for my
"stable" hard drive is a Syquest 44 drive that I've had in a tower case for
many years now. The CD drive, hard drives in the tower, and now the
external hard drive are dead. The Syquest booted fine today, but then when
I tried running some software and I kept getting read errors. After I
re-booted the drive and Falcon a few times, I was working again. I guess I
had better back up the cartridge and hope it's not the drive itself that is
starting to fail! And before everything else starts to crap out, I better
end this diatribe now and get this week's issue out the door!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
MPC STiK 1.6a
MPC STiK is a network bridge for STiK API network clients under MagicPC.
Run Highwire, Chat in AtarIcq or AtarIRC all while running MagicPC. The
program uses the underlying windows network for all communications.
The website isn't beautiful, but I have included a short list of tested
clients. Some clients are problematic, but enough functionality is
there for regular use.
http://baldrick.gemcandy.org/mpcstik.htm
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
joe@atarinews.org
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Another week has come and gone, and we now
find ourselves right smack-dab in the middle of winter. Mother Nature is
due to whack us with another storm over the weekend here in the
northeast, and I guess we really can't complain too much, since it's
been fairly mild so far.
On another front, this week Coretta Scott King was laid to rest. I'm sure
that you've heard just about all the details about all the news-bits...
who, what, when, where, why and how... but all of that still leaves
something out.
I was almost eight years old when Dr. Martin Luther King was
assassinated. It seemed a world away to me back then. A far-away place
called Alabama, a struggle of some sort called "civil rights", and a
very brutal end.
But this isn't about Dr. Martin Luther King. Well, not exactly, anyway.
It's about his wife, Coretta. She spent the lion's share of her life
AFTER she lost her husband. Even now, that bends my mind. She went on to
become, as several luminaries have said, the first lady of the civil
rights movement.
That's fine, and even remarkable, but it's important to remember that her
journey was not an easy one, nor was it a short one. I can almost
guarantee you that it's not the path that she would have chosen for her
self all those years ago while attending the New England Conservatory.
But, as is the case with all of us, it's not so much what she chose that
defines her, but how she dealt with the things that she didn't get to
choose. And she didn't just make due with what she'd been dealt. She
didn't just muddle through. She turned negatives into positives, she
turned personal tragedies into public triumphs, she took the hand that
she'd been dealt and turned it into something that enriched the world.
From that far-away place called Alabama to an even farther-away place
called South Africa, she stood as a model to all of us and a shining
example of what we can do when we must... when we choose... to stand up,
rather than just stand out. Her family and all those whom she touched
throughout her life... and that includes people like myself who not only
never met her, but seldom thought of her except when she was in the eye
of the media... should be grateful that she graced us with her presence
and her good works.
It's going to be a short column this week. There were a grand total of 28
new messages in the newsgroup this week.
Well, let's get to the news, hints, tips and info from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Lonny Pursell posts:
"GFA-Basic Compiler v3.6 package translated to French.
Includes 2 versions in the archive:
Original version as it would have been had GFA ever released it.
A pre-patched version for use with GBE/MiNT and MagiC.
http://www.bright.net/~gfabasic/ "
'Phantom' tells us that he...
"Recently got a bunch of ST Books.
Some are filled with programs in ST Basic.
I was wondering if old ST Basic programs are compatible in GFA Basic?"
Lonny Pursell tells Phantom:
"Nope, ST basic uses line numbers, gfa does not.It would need to be
recoded."
Mickael Pointier adds:
"From what I remember there was a converter able to read ST Basic
listings and output .lst files.
Was not entirely compatible, but at least it took care of line numbers
and stuff."
Dan Iacovelli posts this about The Video Game Summit Slogan Contest:
"Atari Video Club needs your help making a new slogan for
this years show. So we decided to make a contest out of it.
The winning slogan will be featured on selected items in
our store cafepress.com The person with the winning slogan will
also win a white t-shirt that has the slogan on the back of
the shirt and our new Logo on the front.
Here are the rules:
1) slogans are to be original and not a parody of of known
slogans.
2)slogans must either include the words "Video Games","Computers"
and "Family fun" or at least reference to the words.
3) there's a limit of three slogans per person
4) Contest is open to everyone!!
5) deadline for entries in June 2nd,the winning slogan will
be announced on June 13th.
E-mail your contest submissions to the e-mail address listed below
with the subject: Slogan contest.
The 2006 Video Game Summit is on August 12th, 2006 from 9am to 6pm at
the Fairfield inn and Suites (Heron point building), 645 West North
Ave, Lombard, IL 60148.
Visit the VGS website: http://avc.atari-users.net/VGS.html
For more information about Video Game Summit
contact Daniel Iacovelli at AtariVideoClub@yahoo.com "
'Knight37' pops in with a couple of examples:
"ATARI - We Once Were Synonymous With Video Games Until We Let Nintendo
Steal It From Us.
ATARI - Because Infogrames Was a Stupid Ass Name.
Oops. Not sure that 2nd one will qualify. It's a good one though."
'Larry' joins the game and adds:
"The first ones are really tongue in cheek:
"ATARI - Your Father's Video Game System"
"Atari - Family fun from sometime between caveman and XBox"
"Atari: #4 of the Big Three Computer Companies"
(back when it was Radio Shack, Commodore, Apple and Atari)
Now for some better ones:
[VCS 2600 graphic]
Atari 2600
XX Million Happy Customers
(I'm sure someone here has the number sold)
Atari Computers
[Atari 800 graphic]
Four Players - No Waiting!
(Line art of the old ad showing a family playing a 2600)
Atari - Fun for the Whole Family!"
Guillaume Tello asks about processors for the MegaSTE:
"I have a Mega STE, and, before opening it, i'd like to know if I can
plug in it the following processors:
- un MC 68020 RC16B (2A70N8807)
- un MC 68881 RC16B (2B 81G QEXX8834)
Without soldering, of course....!!!"
Mike Freeman tells Guillaume:
"I don't know about the no soldering part, but from info I found online,
the Mega STe was supposed to have had an optional 68881 coprocessor,
which means there should be a spot for one somewhere on the
motherboard. If it's like the Falcon, you just need to buy the
68881/68882 and pop it in (making sure it's lined up properly, of
course). Also, I've heard that you could use a PAK 030 accelerator.
That would give you a 68030 running at up to 40MHz. There was also
Veloce, I think. You'd definitely need soldering with these, though. Of
course, then there's the issue of finding them! Good luck!"
Dr. Uwe Seimet adds:
"No, you can't do that, even soldering would not help."
Well folks, I warned you that it was going to be kind of light on content
this week. That's it for this time around. Tune in again next week, same
time same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying
when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - All New Arena Football!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Resident Evil 4 Is #1!
VGS Slogan Contest!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
EA Ships All-New Arena Football
Electronic Arts announced that Arena Football, the newest game under the EA
SPORTS brand, has shipped to stores nationwide. With Arena Football, gamers
can now experience the excitement of the indoor gridiron with fast-paced,
high-scoring offenses and the ability to send players over the walls.
"EA is the premiere sports videogame developer and we're thrilled to have
worked with them on this project," said Glenn Horine, President, AFL
Properties. "EA SPORTS Arena Football captures the passion of our sport and
gives fans an opportunity to experience the action for themselves."
"The AFL was an amazing league to work with and we strived to create a game
that accurately depicts their unique brand of football," said Mike
Taramykin, Senior Producer, EA Tiburon. "Arena Football has features that
will appeal to both AFL fans and sports fans alike."
The all-new Be the Receiver feature allows players to take control of their
receiver right from the snap and create routes on the fly, attempting to
mix up the defense for a big score. With the new in-game Telemetry system,
players can get real-time information such as scoring history, passing
tendencies and player health and fatigue levels, allowing them to
capitalize on their opponent's weaknesses.
In Franchise Mode, players can take their favorite AFL team and build them
into a powerhouse by managing depth charts, signing free agents and making
trades in an attempt to take home the ArenaBowl championship. Arena
Football also allows players to create their own team or choose from more
than 30 unlockable historic teams including the Anaheim Piranhas and Iowa
Barnstormers.
Developed in Orlando, FL by EA Tiburon, Arena Football is available for the
PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox video game system
from Microsoft. The game is rated "E10+" (Everyone 10 and older) with
descriptors: Language, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes, by the ESRB and
has an MSRP of $29.99 for both console versions. The game's official
website is http://www.easportsarena.com.
'Resident Evil 4' Video Game of the Year-1UP Awards
Capcom's "Resident Evil 4" picked up awards for video game of the year and
best action video game at Ziff Davis Media Game Group's annual 1UP Awards
held in San Francisco on Wednesday.
A list of winners follows:
Game of the year: "Resident Evil 4" (Capcom)
Best action game: "Resident Evil 4" (Capcom)
Best adventure game: "Shadow of the Colossus" (Sony Computer Entertainment)
Best fighting/wrestling game: "Soul Calibur III" (Namco)
Best "massively multiplayer" game: "Guild Wars" (NCsoft)
Best online/multiplayer game: "Battlefield 2" (Electronic Arts
Best puzzle game: "Lumines" (Ubisoft)
Best racing game: "Mario Kart DS" (Nintendo)
Best role-playing game: "Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King"
(Square Enix)
Best shooter game: "Call of Duty 2" (Activision)
Best sports/extreme sports game: "Madden NFL 06" (Electronic Arts)
Best strategy/simulation game: "Civilization IV" (2K Games
Most innovative game: "Nintendogs" (Nintendo)
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
Video Game Summit Slogan Contest
For Immediate Release:
2/7/2006
Atari Video Club needs your help making a new slogan for this years show.
So we decided to make a contest out of it. The winning slogan will be
featured on selected items in our store cafepress.com The person with the
winning slogan will also win a white t-shirt that has the slogan on the
back of the shirt and our new Logo on the front.
Here are the rules:
1) slogans are to be original and not a parody of of known slogans.
2) slogans must either include the words "Video Games","Computers"
and "Family fun" or at least reference to the words.
3) there's a limit of three slogans per person
4) Contest is open to everyone!!
5) deadline for entries in June 2nd,the winning slogan will
be announced on June 13th.
E-mail your contest submissions to the e-mail address listed below
with the subject: "Slogan contest".
The 2006 Video Game Summit is on August 12th, 2006 from 9am to 6pm at
the Fairfield inn and Suites (Heron point building), 645 West North Ave,
Lombard, IL 60148.
Visit the VGS website: http://avc.atari-users.net/VGS.html
For more information about Video Game Summit
contact Daniel Iacovelli at AtariVideoC...@yahoo.com
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
U.S. Concludes 'Cyber Storm' Mock Attacks
The government concluded its "Cyber Storm" wargame Friday, its biggest-ever
exercise to test how it would respond to devastating attacks over the
Internet from anti-globalization activists, underground hackers and
bloggers.
Participants confirmed parts of the worldwide simulation challenged
government officials and industry executives to respond to deliberate
misinformation campaigns and activist calls by Internet bloggers, online
diarists whose "Web logs" include political rantings and musings about
current events.
The Internet survived, even against fictional abuses against the world's
computers on a scale typical for Fox's popular "24" television series.
Experts depicted hackers who shut down electricity in 10 states, failures
in vital systems for online banking and retail sales, infected discs
mistakenly distributed by commercial software companies and critical flaws
discovered in core Internet technology.
Some mock attacks were aimed at causing a "significant cyber disruption"
that could seriously damage energy, transportation and health care
industries and undermine public confidence, said George Foresman, an
undersecretary at the Homeland Security Department.
There was no impact on the real Internet during the weeklong exercise.
Government officials from the United States, Canada, Australia and England
and executives from Microsoft, Cisco, Verisign and others said they were
careful to simulate attacks only using isolated computers, working from
basement offices at the Secret Services headquarters in downtown
Washington.
The Homeland Security Department promised a full report on results from the
exercise by summer.
Foresman likened his agency's role during any Internet attack to an
orchestra conductor, coordinating responses from law enforcement,
intelligence agencies, the military and private firms. The government's
goal is a "symphony of preparedness," Foresman said.
Homeland Security coordinated the exercise. More than 115 government
agencies, companies and organizations participated. They included the White
House National Security Council, Justice Department, Defense Department,
State Department, National Security Agency and CIA, which conducted its own
cybersecurity exercise called "Silent Horizon" last May.
An earlier cyberterrorism exercise called "Livewire" for Homeland Security
and other federal agencies concluded there were serious questions over
government's role during a cyberattack depending on who was identified as
the culprit - terrorists, a foreign government or bored teenagers.
It also questioned whether the U.S. government would be able to detect the
early stages of such an attack without significant help from private
technology companies.
Broadband, Content Firms Fight Over Net Neutrality
High-speed Internet providers and Internet content companies clashed before
lawmakers on Tuesday, in a dispute over whether a law enshrining the right
to surf anywhere on the Web would help or harm consumers.
Representatives of local telephone and cable companies that offer fast
Internet access, known as broadband, said passing a new law could stymie
innovation while companies like Google Inc. said that could happen without
legislation.
Broadband providers have largely pledged that consumers will be able to
access any Internet site. But some also said they may charge more for
services that use faster private Internet networks, like downloading
movies.
"Regulatory or legislative solutions wholly without justification in
marketplace activities would stifle, not enhance the Internet," Walter
McCormick, head of the U.S. Telecom Association, told the Senate Commerce
Committee.
Yet companies like Web search engine Google and Internet telephone provider
Vonage Holdings Corp. argued that a private fast Internet lane could not
only block users from accessing their content and services, but also squash
innovation.
"We must preserve neutrality in this system in order to allow new Googles
of the world, new Yahoos, the new Amazons, to form," said Vinton Cerf, a
Google vice president who in previous jobs helped develop the Internet.
"We risk losing the Internet as a catalyst for consumer choice, for
economic growth, for technological innovation and for global
competitiveness," Cerf said.
In the middle were lawmakers who were divided and uncertain about whether
they should act. Republicans and Democrats both expressed support for
unfettered Internet surfing, but a few Republicans cautioned about
legislating too quickly.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens said after the hearing he
would like to embrace some form of Internet neutrality, but noted that it
was difficult to define and get consensus.
"I think first we have to define what it is," the Alaska Republican said,
according to a transcript of his remarks provided by his office. "I do
believe that net neutrality ought to be the basic principle of whatever
legislation we pursue."
Sen. John Ensign, who has offered legislation to revise U.S. communications
laws, questioned whether such provisions would cut incentives for companies
to build out their networks and compete.
"You do deserve a return on your investment is the bottom line if you're
going to build out these networks," the Nevada Republican said. "Otherwise,
if you can't give them the return on their investment, Wall Street is not
going to loan them the money to do this."
But Democrats on the panel countered that consumers are already paying for
content and broadband access.
"It is not a free lunch for any one of these content providers," said Sen.
Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat. "I've already paid the monthly toll"
to go to any Internet site.
Analysts have been skeptical that Congress will act this year on the issue.
"Details are devilish, suggesting differences would have to be bridged with
broad and possibly ambiguous mandates that invite regulatory and court
battles," said an analyst report by Stifel Nicolaus released on Tuesday.
"And even then, legislation could easily stall."
Activists Claim Yahoo Again Helped China
Yahoo Inc. has provided Chinese authorities with information used to jail
one of its users for eight years, an activist group said Thursday - the
second time the U.S.-based Internet firm was accused of helping jail a
Chinese user.
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said Yahoo's Hong Kong unit provided
information about Li Zhi, a man from southwestern China who was sentenced
to prison in 2003 for subversion after posting comments online criticizing
official corruption.
Mary Osako, a spokeswoman for Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo, said the
company didn't know of the case and couldn't comment on whether the group's
account was accurate.
However, Osako said Yahoo Hong Kong would not have had access to Li's
Chinese account - and it never releases information to the Chinese
government.
She said the company was investigating whether Yahoo China, run by a
partner company, released the data.
Meanwhile, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called for
Yahoo to disclose information on Internet writers whose identities it has
revealed to Chinese authorities.
"We are disturbed that Yahoo has once again provided account holder
information that has been used to jail an Internet writer," said CPJ
Executive Director Ann Cooper. "We call on Yahoo to make a complete public
disclosure of how many such requests it has received."
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations has
scheduled a hearing Wednesday on ethical responsibilities of companies
doing business in China.
Activists criticized Yahoo last year after it was disclosed that the
company provided information that Chinese authorities used to convict and
jail reporter Shi Tao for revealing state secrets.
"Now we know Yahoo works regularly and efficiently with the Chinese
police," a Reporters Without Borders statement said.
It urged Internet companies to use U.S.-based servers in "repressive
countries" so governments must comply with American law when getting
information on users.
Osako said that when the company receives government subpoenas, it isn't
usually told how information will be used. Only legally required
information is turned over, she said.
"The choice in China and other countries is not whether to comply with law
enforcement demands for information," Osako said. "Rather, the choice is
whether to remain in the country."
Yahoo was "distressed" when it learned of the facts surrounding the Shi
Tao case, she said.
In that case, Chinese authorities demanded information from Yahoo's China
unit, which complied with Chinese law, Osako said.
She said earlier accounts saying the information was supplied to Chinese
authorities by Yahoo's Hong Kong arm were incorrect.
Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. also have been criticized for enforcing
Chinese censorship guidelines.
Google's China-based service limits online searches for sensitive topics,
and Microsoft shut down a Chinese user's Web log upon officials' demand.
Yahoo formed a partnership in October with China's Alibaba.com, which runs
Yahoo's mainland China operations.
An Alibaba spokesman, Porter Erisman, said Thursday the company had no
information about the 2003 case because it occurred before the partnership.
Its chief executive, Jack Ma, said earlier his company would cooperate with
authorities seeking information on "politically sensitive information" sent
by a Yahoo e-mail customer.
Yahoo, AOL to Charge Some E-Mail Senders
Two of the world's biggest e-mail account providers, Yahoo Inc. and America
Online, plan to introduce a service that would charge senders a fee to
route their e-mail directly to a user's mailbox without first passing
through junk mail filters, representatives of both companies said Sunday.
The fees, which would range from 1/4 cent to 1 cent per e-mail, are the
latest attempts by the companies to weed out unsolicited ads, commonly
called spam, and identity-theft scams. In exchange for paying, e-mail
senders will be guaranteed their messages won't be filtered and will bear
a seal alerting recipients they're legitimate.
Both companies have long filtered e-mail by searching for keywords commonly
contained in spam and fraudulent e-mail. AOL also strips images and Web
links from many messages to prevent the display of pornographic pictures
and malicious Web addresses. Both practices sometimes falsely identify
legitimate messages as junk mail, making life difficult for businesses that
rely on e-mail.
"We were hearing not only from members but also e-mail partners that they
wanted a different way of delivering e-mail that would stand out in the
inbox and would guarantee them delivery," said spokesman Nicholas Graham,
adding that AOL, a division of New York-based Time Warner Inc., will start
offering the service in the next two months.
Company spokeswoman Karen Mahon said Sunday Sunnyvale-based Yahoo will
begin offering a similar service in the coming months.
The plan, while it's optional and would apply to only a fraction of people
sending e-mail, amounts to a reversal in the economics of the Internet
because it would charge message senders rather than those receiving them.
The current model has led to the proliferation of spam and so-called
phishing scams because the people perpetuating them can turn a profit even
when only a minority of recipients respond, analysts have said.
AOL and Yahoo said the program, which is being offered through a company
called Goodmail Systems, will target banks, online retailers and other
groups that send large amounts of e-mail. In exchange for a payment and a
pledge to contact only people who have agreed to receive their messages,
the companies would be ensured their e-mails aren't diverted to spam
folders or have images or Web addresses filtered out.
The companies also would receive reports showing how many e-mails were
received successfully. The American Red Cross, the New York Times Co. and
credit report company Experian have signed up with Goodmail to use the
service, Graham said. AOL and Yahoo would get a cut of the fees charged by
Goodmail.
Companies that don't want to pay a fee will be able to send e-mail to Yahoo
and AOL members exactly as they have in the past, Graham and Mahon said.
Microsoft May Rebrand MSN Portal
Microsoft may be getting ready to rebrand its MSN site as MSN Media
Network, according to the blog Liveside.Net and an internal Microsoft Web
site.
The LiveSide.net blog reported on the name change Monday, citing several
unnamed sources for the information. One of the blog's authors, Chris
Overd, said via e-mail on Monday that those sources are Microsoft
employees.
The rebranding will coincide with the launch of expanded MSN services for
downloading digital media content and is aimed at expanding MSN into more
of a digital entertainment content provider, he wrote. Currently, MSN is a
Web portal for providing news and video content, as well as services such
as music downloading and e-mail.
A Microsoft Web site showcasing Gadgets, or mini-applications for MSN's
Windows Live service, also refers to the portal as "MSN Media Network."
The page is a sub-site under the official company site for the
mini-applications, which Microsoft calls "Gadgets." The featured Gadget,
called the MSN Homepage Slideshow, provides a rotating slideshow of
multimedia images and headlines from MSN. According to the site where it
appears, which is a public discussion forum about Gadgets, the application
was created by a developer in the Microsoft Gadgets Lab, an internal
company group.
A Microsoft spokesman from Waggener Edstrom, the company's public relations
firm, said Monday he could not confirm or deny the report of the rebranding
plan.
Some of the new services MSN Media Network plans to deliver, according to
LiveSide.net's Overd, are video services through MSN Video, such as movie
and television downloads, as well as a podcasting service.
The authors of LiveSide.net are all Microsoft-dedicated beta testers or
Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs), he said. MVP is an award the company
gives to people who are active and helpful in communities for Microsoft's
product groups.
Microsoft launched Windows Live and Microsoft Gadgets late last year as
part of a comprehensive strategy to offer more Web-based services through
its MSN division and portal.
Windows Live is in beta testing and provides a hub for e-mail and other
customized Web-based content and services. At the International Consumer
Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, MSN spokesman Adam Sohn said
Microsoft plans to give users more access to multimedia content through
Windows Live by enabling them to communicate with Internet-connected
Windows PCs directly through the online service to download movies and
record television programming remotely.
Since the official launch of its Web-based services strategy, Microsoft
has made significant investments to compete with a host of industry
heavyweights that are in the process of offering more multimedia content
over the Web, including Apple Computer, Google, Yahoo, and America Online.
Microsoft recently launched Live Labs, an internal research effort to help
get Web-based services developed and out the door quickly, and it plans to
host its first-ever trade show for Web and multimedia content developers,
MIX 06, in Las Vegas next month.
Microsoft to Unveil Paid Security Service
A new security service from Microsoft Corp. will charge users $49.95 per
year to better protect its Windows operating system from spyware, viruses
and other Internet attacks.
Microsoft plans to release the product in early June.
Called Windows OneCare Live, the subscription service will compete with
security products made by traditional Microsoft partners, including
Symantec Corp. and McAfee Inc. - although the software giant insists that
its aim is not to run those companies out of business.
Ryan Hamlin, general manager of Microsoft's Technology Care and Safety
Group, said Microsoft is less concerned with converting people already
using other products. Instead, Hamlin says Microsoft's goal is to provide
protection for users who don't have any added or up-to-date security - a
group that Microsoft estimates comprises 70 percent of consumer users.
"There's plenty of room here, kind of, for all of us," Hamlin said.
OneCare, which is already available for free in test form, aims to protect
people running the most recent version of Windows against Internet attacks
and intrusive spyware. It also promises to provide regular tuneups to help
keep computers running smoothly, and offers users a way to back up and
restore data.
The system will automatically update with the latest protections and
occasionally add new features, Hamlin said.
Microsoft, whose Windows operating system and Internet Explorer browser are
constant targets of worms, viruses and other disruptive attacks, announced
more than a year ago that it would offer the paid service. Hamlin said
nearly 200,000 people are already trying it out. Anyone who signs up for
the test by April 30 can buy the paid service for just $19.95 per year.
The subscription fee is for up to three personal computers.
The service will initially be available only in English, although Hamlin
said the company expects to launch test versions elsewhere in the world
over the next 12 months.
Analyst Ted Schadler with Forrester Research said the $49.95 price tag is
about even, if not slightly cheaper, than rival offerings, although clear
comparisons are difficult to make.
He said it makes sense for the maker of the world's dominant computer
operating system to have a product that better protects its customers, but
he questioned whether Microsoft would have any more luck than its
competitors in persuading more people to safeguard their systems.
"The big opportunity is to get to people who don't have any security," he
said, but "Microsoft doesn't have any better way to get to those people
than anybody else."
eBay Evolving Away From Auction Roots
eBay is fast moving away from its roots as an online auction site and
becoming an electronic-commerce site, president and CEO Meg Whitman said
today at a press conference here.
More than a third of sales on eBay sites are bought instantly at fixed
prices rather than through the online auctions that established its
reputation, she said. "Globally, 34 percent of the gross merchandise value
of sales are settled through the 'Buy It Now' fixed price format," she told
journalists. The total value of sales on eBay was more than $10 billion
over the last three quarters.
The trend in sales is driven by the need to satisfy "convenience-orientated
buyers" who do not want to wait for the end of an auction period to see if
they had bought an item or who do not want to run the risk of losing the
item, Whitman said. She highlighted eBay's plans to launch a new service
called eBay Express that would further encourage the trend by collecting
all items for sale at fixed prices in one place.
Commenting on the recent decision by U.S. jeweler Tiffany to sue eBay for
failing to take adequate steps to prevent fake Tiffany items from being
offered on its site, Whitman said eBay had been "disappointed" by the move
as the company worked with intellectual property holders to combat the sale
of fake goods. "Counterfeit items are not allowed [on our sites]," she
said, adding that eBay has focused on the problem of fake items. "We have a
number of technical tools to help intellectual property owners identify
goods and remove them," she said.
Having customers maintain trust in the eBay service is crucial, she said.
The number of transactions resulting in disputes is "less than one
hundredth of 1 percent" and is falling, she said. But the company wants to
further reduce that figure. "We will invest in activities to fight the bad
guys," she said. Whitman pointed out that the company helps mediate
disputes, with customer support representatives getting involved in cases.
Commenting on eBay's acquisition of Internet phone company Skype, Whitman
said that the purchase will help raise the average value of transactions
by allowing buyers and sellers to communicate more easily. The more
information buyers and sellers have about each other, the more likely they
are to carry out higher-value transactions like buying cars, she explained.
In any case, Whitman said Skype has 75 million users and is attracting
200,000 new members a day. eBay will be adding Skype buttons to its sites
in the Netherlands, Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan, she said.
However, she ruled out further major acquisitions in 2006, saying that this
is a year to "integrate and digest" companies eBay has bought, "making sure
we exploit the synergies."
She predicted that eBay faces increasing competition from Google and its
PayPal online payment service.
Microsoft Faces First EU Antitrust Fines
Microsoft looks more than likely to earn a place in history by becoming the
first company to be hit with daily fines by the European Union for failing
to respect an antitrust ruling. The EU's highest antitrust official,
Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, has given the company until
February 15 to comply with the commission's March 2004 ruling or face a
fine of up to $2.4 million a day.
Events of recent weeks indicate that the company will not meet the
commission's demands by that date, so the procedure will be launched to
impose daily penalties. This view is shared not just by Microsoft's rivals
and complainants in the case, but also independent analysts.
"I wouldn't be at all surprised if the EU went ahead and fined Microsoft,"
said Gary Barnett, an analyst covering the company at Ovum in the UK.
The key issue is whether Microsoft has done enough to ensure
interoperability with its workgroup server software, one of the three
elements of the commission's 2004 ruling. The company argues it has gone
far beyond what the commission is asking for by offering to open access to
the source code for the communications protocols.
"We have done everything we can to respond to the commission's changing
demands, even going beyond the decision," a company spokesperson said.
Yet, the commission and Microsoft's rivals have dismissed the company's
offer, saying that granting access to the source code does not meet the
fundamental challenge of enabling other developers to create products that
interoperate smoothly with Microsoft's server software.
"Software companies know how to write interface specifications [to ensure
interoperability with other companies' products]. They do it all the time
and so does Microsoft. But they're not doing it here because they don't
want to," said Thomas Vinje, a lawyer at Clifford Chance who represents
rival software companies supporting the case against Microsoft.
Microsoft also argues that the commission has not given the company enough
time to respond to its complaints and is denying it the information it
needs to answer the commission's charges in the statement of objections
sent on December 22. "It has been six weeks since we received the
statement of objections, we have eight days left to respond, and we still
do not have access to the case file. This is a basic question of fairness
and transparency," a spokesperson said.
But analysts are equally skeptical about Microsoft's tactics in leaking a
letter accusing the commission of withholding access to key documents.
"The letter is part of a strategy to prolong things," said Ovum's Barnett.
Judging by recent developments, the company seems to prefer to make its
case against the commission through the media rather than making serious
efforts to change Kroes' mind on the merits of the case. Microsoft faxed
the commissioner a two-page fax on the source code offer only 10 minutes
before the company's top lawyer Brad Smith announced the offer to the
press. The commissioner says she is still waiting for more details from
the company.
In the absence of a sudden U-turn by Microsoft to offer usable
documentation that would allow its rivals to develop interoperable
products, it seems that the company will be the first to be fined for
noncompliance. Sources close to Kroes say she has run out of time and
patience with the company after an eight-year investigation and giving the
company more than a year to comply.
The fine is likely to be less than the $2.4 million figure circulating, as
the commission will not go for the maximum fine the first time. A figure of
$1.2 million a day or less is seen as more likely. Microsoft is likely to
appeal a fine.
Microsoft can afford to pay the fine and would get its money back with
interest if it won an appeal to the European Court of Justice regarding
the antitrust ruling and any financial penalty that is imposed. It would
hurt the company more to be the first to suffer financial penalties for not
respecting a commission decision, but Microsoft may have decided that
noncompliance and a fine are a smaller price to pay than allowing
competitors to develop rival products.
Spyware Threats Tripled in 2005
Last year was the biggest year yet for spyware, as consumers, small
businesses, and enterprises across the globe were invaded by a plague of
malicious software.
Trojan horses and system monitors were the most malicious types of spyware
unleashed on computers, says Boulder, Colorado-based software vendor
Webroot in a new report called "The State of Spyware."
Antivirus programs and free antispyware solutions are ineffective against
these complicated and sophisticated programs, Webroot concluded.
The detection-and-removal engines used by these programs are unable to root
out these insidious programs, which use polymorphic code and rootkit
technology to avoid detection.
Between the third and fourth quarters of 2005, the number of Trojan
infections in enterprises computers increased by 9 percent, according to
Webroot. From the second to the fourth quarter of 2005, the number of
system monitors, such as keystroke loggers, increased by 50 percent
consecutively each quarter.
In addition, Webroot found that spyware-triggered business disruptions
caused significant revenue loss for 54 percent of businesses.
"Webroot's report confirms everything we've heard about the threat of
spyware," said Andrew Jaquith, a senior analyst at the Yankee Group.
"It's troubling that a significant number of Windows PCs, both consumer
and corporate, continue to be infected with genuinely malicious code, such
as rootkits, keyloggers, and Trojan horses."
Jaquith also said that Webroot's numbers show that the botnet epidemic
will not run out of fuel any time soon. Botnets are networks of computers
that are taken over by criminals without the consent of their owners.
Botnets are used to attack other computers or to send out spam.
"There is no doubt that, as Microsoft and other vendors continue to
improve the security of their base operating systems, malicious code
writers will 'move up the stack' and target applications," said Neil
MacDonald, Gartner Research vice president and distinguished analyst of
information security, privacy, and risk.
"The fact that Internet Explorer is so widely deployed makes it a prime
target," said MacDonald. "This, combined with the 'social engineering'
aspect of these attacks - tricking the users into installing or clicking
on something they shouldn't - means the browser will continue to be a
focal point of attack."
MacDonald also said that all consumers and enterprise I.T. users should
have some form of antispyware protection installed and should demand this
capability at no cost from their incumbent antivirus providers.
"If that fails, Microsoft's antispyware beta is in wide use and provides
good protection at no cost - and will be bundled in Windows Vista,"
MacDonald said.
"Another important step will be to deploy Internet Explorer 7 when it
becomes available, as Microsoft has reengineered Internet Explorer to
provide less exposure to spyware attacks, especially on Windows Vista
where most browsing activities will be performed without administrative
access," MacDonald said.
Richard Stiennon, vice president of threat research at Webroot, disagreed
with the suggestion to use Internet Explorer.
"Even though Microsoft will block a lot of vulnerabilities in Internet
Explorer, IE7 is likely to have a whole load more vulnerabilities," he
said. "Users should switch instead to Firefox from Mozilla, which has no
proven vulnerabilities."
Europe Is Urged to Improve Web Security
Europe must work harder to make the Internet more secure as the nature of
online threats becomes increasingly criminal across the 25-nation bloc, a
senior EU official warned Thursday.
"We are still far from achieving the goal of secure and reliable networks
that protect confidential and reliable information," said Viviane Reding,
the EU's media commissioner, at a conference on trust in the Internet.
"A couple of years ago, most Internet security problems were caused by
viruses and worms often created by hackers ... Today, however, the threat
landscape is changing. Attacks have a criminal base, such as identity
theft."
Almost 80 percent of EU citizens are concerned about Internet security and
half do not engage in electronic commerce because they worry about having
their personal financial data stolen on the Web, she said.
Spam - unsolicited messages that clog up e-mail inboxes - also continues
to be a menace and is often used to steal passwords and credit card numbers
and spread spyware, Reding said, adding that 60 percent of e-mails in 2005
were spam.
Speaking via video link from Brussels, Reding stressed the importance of
international cooperation in promoting user trust in the Web and said she
would soon announce a "strategy for enhanced security."
Reding's comments were echoed by Alun Micheal, Britain's minister of state
for industry and the regions.
"We must aim to provide citizen security on the Internet, prevent exclusion
and reduce fear," Micheal said.
But he warned that too much security could do more harm than good.
"Approach a security expert of a policeman and you may well get a solution
that stunts the creativity or prevents basic use of your home or your
factory or your computer," he said, adding that the response had to be
light, fast, proportionate and effective.
In the end, all attempts to secure cyberspace will fail if users, already
weary of online fraud, change their mind-set and become comfortable using
new technology, he said.
"Trusting the Net also requires changes in attitudes and that is what will
make a real difference to overcoming fear and protecting the vulnerable,"
he said.
Building trust, however, takes time and is based on positive experiences.
Austria has since 2003 slowly adapted to an electronic tax filing system.
After initial skepticism, the system is now up and running with some
success based in part on high confidence in public administration, said
Alfred Finz, state secretary in Austria's Finance Ministry.
In that sense, trust in the Internet is vital for the future of electronic
services, he added.
=~=~=~=
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