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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 11 Issue 35
Volume 11, Issue 35 Atari Online News, Etc. August 28, 2009
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2008
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 #1135 08/28/09
~ Unix Copyright to Trial ~ People Are Talking! ~ Jessica Biel Risk!
~ Losing Web Access in UK ~ Snow Leopard On Sale! ~ Speed: US Ranks 28th!
~ BlizzCon 2009 Roundup! ~ MS Race Photo Apology! ~ Xbox 360 Price Cut!
~ ~ Broadband Requests ~
-* Phishing Drops, New Tactics? *-
-* Laptops Sent to Governors, FBI On It *-
-* US DHS Revises Border Laptop Search Rules! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Well, this week started off with sweltering temperatures, along with
high levels of humidity. The AC was on full blast during those days
because it was unbearable. But, nature has a way of leveling things
off, and the past couple of days have been terrific! We missed one
hurricane, but we're expecting to get hit by another one this weekend.
Sure, it will only be a lot of steady rain and some wind, but it will
be a close one. Hey, this is New England, so we've come to expect this
stuff!
I realize that you've probably been inundated with news and commentary
about this the past few days, but being a resident of Massachusetts, I
feel it warrants a few words - the death of our senior senator, Ted
Kennedy. While I was never a real fan of Ted Kennedy, I have to admit
that he did a lot for the people of Massachusetts, as well as for the
country. He was a champion of the poor and various "specialized" segments
of the U.S. population. The man had a lot of clout, and used it. Some
say that it was Kennedy's endorsement of our current president's run for
office that helped put him in office. Possibly.
However, it was that Kennedy clout in other forms that led me to lean
toward disliking the man. Don't get me wrong, a lot of what he did in his
personal life should be commended. He helped raise JFK's children, and
helped with RFK's after he was killed. He was the rock of the Kennedy
clan. But, there was also that influence that only power and money can
provide that influenced my negativity. First, there's the infamous event
at Chappaquiddick. And how about the legal problems of others in his
extended family: a rape trial and a murder case? You know that "Uncle
Teddy" played a major role in both, even though one case was reopened many
years after the fact and a conviction finally brought in! And how about
those in the family with drug problems that were covered up until events
came about that forced these issues to come to light? Yep, the
"privileged", many times, manage to escape legal issues that you and I
would never be able to overcome. Sure, you can say that he was only doing
what any relative would do in his position, but it was his position of
power that helped provide the influence to get results. Things like that
just rubbed me the wrong way about our late senior senator.
And, you have to give Kennedy credit for using that same influence helping
the less fortunate in this country. Granted, there was a lot of sadness
heaped on that "Camelot" family over the years. And, it was sad when that
family went through many tragedies over the years. But you know what,
many families are beset with tragedy; they're just not known about because
they don't have the same notoriety as the Kennedy family.
Massachusetts, and the country as a whole, will feel the loss of a great
politician - both personally and politically. But, we'll also remember
the less-than-positive aspects during his lifetime as well.
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
joe@atarinews.org
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Unless you live alone... in a cave... in
Outer Mongolia, you know that Senator Ted Kennedy has passed away.
Now, many conservatives will tell you that Teddy was trouble... every bad
thing that's happened to this country in the past 45 years can be laid
directly at his feet. He's the bane of anyone who believes in fiscal
responsibility and moral strength, that he was a 'spoiled rich kid' who
was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and never had to worry about
his own comfort.
The TRUTH, however, is that Kennedy had spent 45 years serving his
country. Like what he stood for or not, he was one of the longest-serving
senators in history, and he consistently stood for the rights of the
individual over the rights of corporations and government agencies.
The list of bills and debates he's been a part of is truly astounding.
Everything from the latter part of the civil rights 'revolution' to
women's rights and equal opportunity to fair pay and workplace safety and
helping the disabled, veterans rights and benefits, and finally to health
care. The GOOD things in our society today are due in part to his
influence and deal-brokering.
And while it is true that he'd never had to worry about money or where
his next meal was coming from or how he was going to afford to send his
kids to college, he was also looking out for those of us who DID have
those concerns... even though he didn't have to.
I disagree with several pundits about one thing: Senator Kennedy's
previous unwillingness to compromise on some things. If he had
compromised, they say, we might have gotten some of the legislation
he'd wanted sooner. For instance, he'd tried to get legislation on health
care in the 70's and was at an impasse with President Nixon. Instead of
compromising, he held firm to what he believed was needed. Nothing
happened.
In the 90's, along with the Clintons, he again tried to get health care
legislation through but reached an impasse with senate republicans.
Again, he decided not to compromise. Again, nothing was done.
In the last several years, he'd come to think (according to those who
claim to know) that if he had compromised, we'd have "at least something"
in the way of a coherent health care policy.
This is where I disagree. He did, for instance, compromise with the Bush
(43) administration on education issues, and the result was "No Child
Left Behind", a system and set of unfunded mandates that has lead not to
teaching children how to learn and excel, but to be able to pass the
all-important qualification test. Children are no longer being taught how
to learn, they're being taught how to pass one particular test that may
or may not say something about how much money a particular school
district may be able to afford to pump into the effort. And those that do
not have the necessary funds, be it from city, state or federal sources,
often resort to 'fudging' the results; doing things like urging students
with a low likelihood of being able to pass the test to stay home on
testing day.
No, compromise is not the important part of legislation. It's knowing
WHEN to compromise and understanding what the cost might be.
I have a dark, suspicious feeling that, when the current session of
congress is through, any health care insurance reform bill that will be
passed into law will be a half-measure at best, that the cost will be
almost as staggering as it would have been if legislators like Senator
Kennedy had 'stuck to their guns', and that it will benefit no on more
than the insurance companies. Mark my words. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm
not going to bet my health on it. [grin]
The closest I've ever gotten to meeting Senator Kennedy was a staffer who
worked for him. A friend of mine was dating her, and brought her home
from Washington for the holidays one time. I remember her saying that
Kennedy was always busy, flying from one piece of legislation to another,
always learning every nuance of every bill before him, and making calls
or taking meetings to see if it could be made better or more useful. That
he was constantly asking "how are things with you?" and "what's important
to you about this?". Yes, it seemed to genuinely matter to him that
other people... 'regular' people, not just other senators or industry
bigshots... had some input.
At the time, I thought it was just the musings of a young lady happy to
be so close to the halls of governmental power, but the more I heard
about Kennedy over the years, the more I came to realize that he could
not be simply summed up as a punchline to another "Chappaquiddick" joke,
and that he really WAS one of the 'good guys'.
You're not going to believe this, but just as I was saving my final copy
of this column, I got an email from that friend of mine. Here, in part,
is what he said....
"I am very saddened by Ted Kennedy's passing. Remember that girl I
dated who worked for him? She was pretty low on the totem pole as far as
staff people were concerned....she like myself was in her late 20s at
the time.
I put together a birthday party her...rented a hall and everything....
even invited my brother (who showed up) and got a local band, had beer,
etc. Senator Kennedy showed up to this party! There were no VIPs --
just a bunch of kids in their 20s, and there were no photo opps, or
anything anyone of Kennedy's stature would find useful. He led us in
singing Happy Birthday to her, he stayed and hung around and talked to
everybody. My brother said he had a nice conversation with him even
though they'd never met before, he was not a voter in Kennedy's state,
had no favors he could grant or anything that the Senator might find
useful or, very probably, even interesting.
Ever since that incident Ted Kennedy was held in very high esteem by
me....and I am sad to see him go......"
Now the heck of it is that this particular friend of mine is... [gasp!] a
republican! [grin]
Anyway, back to what I was saying...
Much of what we enjoy today is due, at least in part, to the labors of
Ted Kennedy. I know that by now most people are sick to death of hearing
about him on all the news broadcasts and 'special reports', but his years
of service and dedication deserve some recognition, and no matter how
long the 'reporting' goes on or how many mentions he gets over the next
days and, possibly, weeks it won't be thank you enough to someone who
never really asked for the recognition at all.
Well, that's it for this week. Let's hope there's some decent traffic in
the NewsGroup next week. Until next time, keep your back against the
wall, your eye on the horizon, your ear to the ground, your shoulder to
the wheel and your feet upon the path... Now just try to get some work
done in THAT position. [grin]
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 - Microsoft Cutting Xbox 360 Price!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" BlizzCon 2009 Roundup!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Microsoft Cutting Price of High-End Xbox 360
Microsoft Corp. is slashing the price of the high-end Xbox 360 console
by $100, matching Sony's $100 price cut for the PlayStation 3 last week.
Now, both the Xbox 360 Elite and the PS3 will cost $299. The price cuts
in both cases are worldwide, though the exact amounts vary by region
depending on currencies.
Microsoft, which has had three versions of its Xbox 360 available at
three different prices, also was to announce Thursday it is phasing out
the mid-range, Pro, version of the console. It will be available for
$249, down from $299, while supplies last.
The cheapest Xbox, the Arcade, which comes without a hard drive, will
still cost $199.
The price cuts are effective Friday, said David Dennis, a spokesman for
Microsoft.
Video game companies hope the price cuts will re-ignite sales in time
for the holiday rush. For the bulk of this year, the industry has
suffered from weak sales - hurt by the recession and lackluster game
releases, which have kept consumers waiting to spend money on new titles.
The announcement from Microsoft leaves only Nintendo Co. without a price
cut for the fall, at least for now. The Wii has cost $250 since its
launch nearly three years ago.
Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft has sold more than 31.4 million of the
Xbox 360 machines globally, compared with 23.7 million PS3 machines sold
by Sony Corp. and 52.6 million Wiis.
BlizzCon 2009 Roundup: Cataclysm, StarCraft II and Diablo III
BlizzCon, Blizzard Entertainment's two-day celebration for enthusiasts
of its popular computer games, converged this past weekend in Anaheim,
Calif. Blizzard used the event to reveal its upcoming "Cataclysm"
expansion pack for World of Warcraft, and also provided details of other
games in development.
Cataclysm builds on a massively multiplayer game that's been in
continuous play since 2004, and has been added onto twice already with
expansion packs. While previous expansion packs have emphasized
improvements that mainly benefit high-level players, Blizzard is going
back to basics with Cataclysm by offering new content to attract both
new and existing players.
Accompanying some changes to Azeroth, the mythical land World of
Warcraft uses as its setting, are completely revamped quests. Blizzard
wanted to create quests that tied in to the new zones and were more
enjoyable to the casual player. New "instances" have been added, for
example triggered events that players initiate when they go on
questions along with improved loot tables that should hand players more
valuable items.
Cataclysm will also introduce improvements to the game's graphics
engine, permitting players with higher end computers to experience
higher quality video. Blizzard development proudly showed off improved
water effects. Both representatives we spoke to stated that the minimum
hardware requirements to play the game will not be increased.
*StarCraft II and Diablo III*
While Cataclysm took center stage at BlizzCon 2009, it wasn't the only
thing that Blizzard showed off. The company also offered details on two
other products in its development pipeline, both of which will be
available for the Mac: StarCraft II, its sequel to its hugely popular
space-based real-time strategy game, and Diablo III, a new installment
of Blizzard's "dungeon crawl"-style action role playing game.
StarCraft II eschews local area network (LAN) support altogether for
Battle.net, Blizzard's own free server-based game matching system. This is
a controversial change with longtime StarCraft fans, some of whom are
disappointed that they won't be able to host their own local multiplayer
games. But Blizzard says it's doing this to help cut down on piracy.
Recently Blizzard indicated that it has pushed back StarCraft II's
release to the first half of 2010 to rework Battle.net.
At BlizzCon Blizzard explained that Battle.net is being redesigned to
keep players online without dropping the connection. It will offer
additional challenges, more co-op gameplay modes and achievements that
can be earned which require your being connected as you launch the game.
Blizzard said that Battle.net is undergoing a complete hardware upgrade
to accommodate the changes. Older titles will still run.
A new cooperate multiplayer party system within StarCraft II will allow
you to team up against computer-controlled players. The system will also
offer achievements for cooperation during gameplay.
Blizzard estimates that StarCraft II's single-player mode will offer
between 20 and 30 hours of gameplay. Players can play some of the
title's 26 missions differently via branching and each mission averages
about an hour to complete.
Blizzard doesn't expect to launch a demo prior to StarCraft II's
release, but some portion of the game's audience will be able to test a
beta version of StarCraft II through the Battle.net service.
Diablo III is shaping up to be at least as long as Diablo II, and will
feature randomized dungeons, quests and boss encounters. This will take a
couple play-throughs to see and do everything.
Battle.net will feature increasingly difficult competition ladders for
Diablo III. Blizzard representatives stated that Battle.net is being
redesigned to facilitate playing with both friends and players around
your level.
The recently-announced Monk class is being regarded as a "fragile tank"
of sorts - "tank," in gamer's parlance, is a character that can absorb
damage while others in the party attack enemies or try to achieve quest
goals. The Monk character can readily engage a small to medium size
group of enemies and hold his own. In cases where the Monk is surrounded
by enemies, players can use a new combo system for attacks previously
unseen in any Diablo title.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
US DHS Revises Border Laptop Search Rules
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has released new rules for
border agents searching travelers' laptops and other electronic devices,
but the revised guidelines won't quiet complaints from the American
Civil Liberties Union.
The new guidelines, unveiled Thursday, continue to allow U.S. Customs and
Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
to search electronic devices during border crossings without suspicion of
wrongdoing. Both CBP and ICE are part of DHS.
The new rules were announced by DHS a day after the ACLU filed a lawsuit
in an effort to get more information about border laptop searches. The
ACLU and other groups have complained that the laptop search policy
violates the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment against unreasonable
search and seizure.
The new guidelines are intended to provide more "transparency and
accountability" for the laptop searches, said Matt Chandler, DHS
spokesman.
The guidelines require CBP to complete a search of an electronic device
within five days and ICE to complete a search within 30 days. In
addition, agents must take additional steps to inform and educate
travelers about the searches, and the DHS Office for Civil Rights and
Civil Liberties will conduct an assessment of the policy's impact on
civil rights within 120 days, Chandler said.
The new rules provide a good balance between U.S. security and civil
liberties and privacy, Chandler said.
"Keeping Americans safe in an increasingly digital world depends on our
ability to lawfully screen materials entering the United States," DHS
Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement. "The new directives
announced today strike the balance between respecting the civil
liberties and privacy of all travelers while ensuring DHS can take the
lawful actions necessary to secure our borders."
But the new rules don't go far enough, said Catherine Crump, staff
attorney with the ACLU First Amendment Working Group.
"DHS' latest policy announcement on border searches is a disappointment
and should not be mistaken for one that restores the constitutional
rights of travelers at the border," she said. "Members of the public
deserve fundamental privacy rights when traveling and the safety of
knowing that federal agents cannot rifle through their laptops without
some reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing."
The ACLU does not oppose border searches, she added. "But it does oppose
a policy that leaves government officials free to exercise their power
arbitrarily," Crump said. "Such a policy not only invades our privacy
but can lead to racial and religious profiling."
CBP has asserted that it can search all files, including financial
documents and Web browsing history, on travelers' laptops and electronic
devices "absent individualized suspicion." The agency does need probable
cause that a crime has been committed to seize a device.
In the past 10 months, CBP has dealt with more than 221 million
travelers at U.S. ports of entry, according to DHS. CBP did about 1,000
laptop searches during that time, and only 46 were in-depth searches,
the agency said.
FBI Investigating Laptops Sent to US Governors
There may be a new type of Trojan Horse attack to worry about.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is trying to figure out who is
sending laptop computers to state governors acros s the U.S., including
West Virginia Governor Joe Mahchin and Wyoming Governor Dave
Freudenthal. Some state officials are worried that they may contain
malicious software.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, other states have
been targeted too, with HP laptops mysteriously ordered for officials in
10 states. Four of the orders were delivered, while the remaining six
were intercepted, according to a source who spoke on condition of
anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.
The West Virginia laptops were delivered to the governor's office
several weeks ago, prompting state officials to contact police,
according to Kyle Schafer, the state's chief technology officer. "We
were notified by the governor's office that they had received the
laptops and they had not ordered them," he said. "We checked our records
and we had not ordered them."
State officials in Vermont and Wyoming told him they've received similar
unsolicited orders, Schafer said. Representatives from those states
could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Schafer doesn't know what's on the laptops, but he handed them over to
the authorities. "Our expectation is that this is not a gesture of good
will," he said. "People don't just send you five laptops for no good
reason."
The computers are now being held as evidence by state police, who are
working with the FBI to figure out how the machines were sent to the
governor's office, said Michael Baylous, a sergeant with the West
Virginia State Police.
The West Virginia laptops were delivered Aug. 5, according to the
Charleston Gazette, which first reported the story.
The laptops sent to the Wyoming governor's office arrived in two
separate shipments on Aug. 3 and Aug. 6, according to Cara Eastwood, a
spokeswoman for Governor Freudenthal.
"We received one package, opened it and realized that it was an error
since no one in our office had ordered them," she said. "The next day we
received another package. At this point we realized that they needed to
be turned over to law enforcement."
Although there is no evidence that the computers contain malicious code,
HP confirmed Thursday that there have been several such orders and that
they have been linked to fraud. "HP is aware that fraudulent state
government orders recently have been placed for small amounts of HP
equipment," spokeswoman Pamela Bonney said in an e-mail message. "HP
took prompt corrective action to address the fraudulent orders and is
working with law enforcement personnel on a criminal investigation."
With users now more reluctant to install suspicious software or open
attachments on their networks, scammers appear to be looking for new
ways to get inside the firewall.
Criminals have tried to put malware on USB devices and then left them
outside company offices, hoping someone would plug them into a computer
and inadvertently install malicious software on the network. Many
Windows systems are configured to automatically run software included on
CDs and USB devices using a Windows feature called AutoRun.
Many organized criminals would be happy to spend the cost of five PCs in
order to access government computers, said Steve Santorelli, director of
investigations with security consultancy Team Cymru. "What is a netbook?
$700? You send five of them; you're dropping three grand, and say you
get into the Congressional e-mail system. How valuable would that be?"
Broadband Requests Far Exceed Amount Available
Businesses, nonprofits, libraries, hospitals and state and local
governments have applied for more than $28 billion in funds for
broadband projects from the Commerce Department's National
Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Department of
Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service.
The amount is seven times the amount available now through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act. A preliminary analysis of
applicant-reported data shows that NTIA and RUS received 2,200 requests
for grants and loans totaling nearly $38 billion (including $10 billion
in matching funds from applicants).
The Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which has $4 billion available
through loans and grants, is focused on expanding broadband access to
bridge the technological divide, create jobs, and build the Internet
infrastructure, according to the agencies.
While the act provides a total of $7.2 billion to the NTIA and RUS for
broadband, only $4 billion is available through the first grant. The
agencies have just two weeks to decide which of the 2,200 applicants
will receive the funds.
Ultimately, NTIA said it will use $4.7 billion to deploy broadband in
underserved areas, expand public computer center capacity, and encourage
adoption of broadband services. RUS will invest $2.5 billion in
broadband deployment for rural communities.
The number of requests shows high interest in expanding broadband across
the U.S., said Lawrence Strickling, assistant secretary for
communications and information and administrator of NTIA. "We will move
quickly but carefully to fund the best projects to bring broadband and
jobs to more Americans," he said.
"Rural communities clearly recognize that broadband can expand their
economic opportunities and create jobs," said Jonathan Adelstein, RUS
administrator. "The Obama administration's goal is to target funds to
serve areas of greatest need. The big demand for loans as well as grants
demonstrates that we can leverage private investment with USDA's $2.5
billion to deliver the greatest bang for the taxpayers' buck."
A whopping 830 applications were received by both the NTIA and RUS for
nearly $12.8 billion in infrastructure funding.
More than 400 applications were filed with RUS's Broadband Initiatives
Program requesting $5 billion in grants and loans for broadband
infrastructure in rural areas.
Nearly $2.5 billion was requested in more than 320 applications to the
NTIA to increase sustainable demand for broadband services. Included in
those projects are broadband awareness and education, training,
equipment and support.
The NTIA received more than 360 applications seeking $1.9 billion in
grants for public computer projects in libraries, community colleges,
and other institutions.
Both agencies say the numbers made public Thursday are preliminary and a
further review is expected to find errors and duplications. Once
completed, the agencies plan to post an online database of all
applications received.
'Phishing' Drops; Are Scammers Switching Tactics?
Internet criminals might be rethinking a favorite scam for stealing
people's personal information.
A report being released Wednesday by IBM Corp. shows a big drop in the
volume of "phishing" e-mails, in which fraud artists send what looks
like a legitimate message from a bank or some other company. If the
recipients click on a link in a phishing e-mail, they land on a rogue
Web site that captures their passwords, account numbers or any other
information they might enter.
IBM's midyear security report found that phishing accounted for just 0.1
percent of all spam in the first six months of this year. In the same
period in 2008, phishing made up 0.2 percent to 0.8 percent of all spam.
It's not clear what, if anything, the decline means. (It also doesn't
appear to be a statistical illusion caused by an increase in other kinds
of spam. IBM said overall spam volume hasn't expanded, like it did in
years past.)
"That is a huge, precipitous decline in the amount of phishing," said
Kris Lamb, director of the X-Force research team in IBM's Internet
Security Systems division, which did the report. But "I wouldn't tell
anybody that phishing has died as a threat."
Lamb believes phishing might have fallen off because computer users are
getting smarter about identifying phony Web sites. Security software is
also getting better at filtering out phishing sites before Web surfers
ever seen them.
It could also be that criminals are moving on from phishing to another
kind of attack, involving malicious software. IBM said it is seeing more
instances of "Trojan horse" programs, which are used to spy on victims.
Dean Turner, director of Symantec Corp.'s global intelligence network,
who was not involved in IBM's research, said Symantec has also noticed
less phishing, but warned that it could increase again later in the
year. Phishing scams spike around the holidays, he said.
IBM found that criminals are changing the types of businesses they
attack with phishing. Sixty-six percent of phishing targets were banks,
down from 90 percent last year. Meanwhile, companies that handle online
payments, like PayPal, are being mimicked in phishing messages more
frequently.
To protect yourself against phishing, access sensitive sites on your
own, rather than by following links in e-mails, which might lead to
phishing sites.
Ownership of Unix Copyright Headed to Trial
A federal appeals court on Monday reversed a judge's decision that
granted the copyright of the Unix computer operating system to Novell Inc.
A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that
a judge erred in August 2007 by granting the copyright to Novell. The
panel ordered a trial to determine ownership.
Novell, a software and computer infrastructure company, has been locked
in a yearslong legal battle with The SCO Group Inc. of Lindon, Utah,
over ownership to the copyright.
SCO said the ruling paves the way for resumption of the court case.
SCO filed for bankruptcy protection in 2007, drained by unsuccessfully
filing lawsuits claiming its software code was misappropriated by
developers of the open-source Linux operating system.
"For us it's a case of survival, of protecting what we own." SCO chief
executive Darl McBride told The Associated Press.
Part of the Unix computer code, which was developed by AT&T in 1969, is
used in the Linux operating system.
McBride said the development and distribution of Linux has caused the
company's revenues to drop from $250 million a year to $15 million,
forcing the company to file for bankruptcy.
"There are 20 million versions of Linux running around the world,"
McBride said, referring to his estimate of company servers using Linux.
"Linux at the end of the day is a knock off of our Unix."
Novell has operations in Provo, Utah, and Waltham, Mass. A Novell
spokesman did not return a message seeking comment.
SCO has another lawsuit pending against IBM Corp., claiming Big Blue's
Unix license for IBM's core AIX system was canceled in 2003 and IBM
improperly gave away Unix source code for use in Linux.
McBride said the appellate panel's ruling reinstates SCO's claims
against IBM, most which had been dismissed because of Novell's claim to
the Unix copyright. A message left after business hours for IBM was not
immediately returned.
Trial dates for SCO's lawsuits against Novell and IBM have not been set.
Both cases are pending in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City.
Microsoft Apologizes for Changing Race in Photo
Software giant Microsoft Corp. is apologizing for altering a photo on
its Web site to change the race of one of the people shown in the picture.
A photo on the Seattle-based company's U.S. Web site shows two men, one
Asian and one black, and a white woman seated at a conference room
table. But on the Web site of Microsoft's Polish business unit, the
black man's head has been replaced with that of a white man. The color
of his hand remains unchanged.
The photo editing sparked criticism online. Some bloggers said Poland's
ethnic homogeneity may have played a role in changing the photo.
"We are looking into the details of this situation," Microsoft
spokesperson Lou Gellos said in a statement Tuesday. "We apologize and
are in the process of pulling down the image."
UK Says Illegal Downloaders May Lose Web Access
People who repeatedly download copyrighted films and music could have their
Internet connection cut off under proposed laws to tackle illegal
file-sharing unveiled by the British government on Tuesday.
The proposal to ban repeat offenders from the Internet, which drew
criticism from both civil rights groups and internet service providers,
toughens up the measures being considered in Britain to crack down on
online piracy.
Treasury Minister Stephen Timms said that previous plans, which would
only have restricted users' broadband speed, did not go far enough.
That potential punishment remains under the new plans, but is
accompanied by the possibility of blocking offenders' access to download
sites as well as banning them from the Internet altogether.
If the measures are passed when they come to Parliament in November,
Britain would join France in defying a European Parliament ruling in May
that prohibited European Union governments from cutting off a user's
Internet connection without first going to a court of law. That ruling
still needs a final stamp after negotiations with the European Council.
France, which passed its bill to cut off internet access for offenders
in May, has already created what may be the first government agency to
track and punish online pirates. The earliest a British ban could be put
into place is 2011.
The British proposals put the onus on internet service providers, which
host file-swapping sites, to catch and take action against offenders.
The music industry has been criticized in the past for targeting
individual Internet users in its legal war against piracy instead of the
internet service providers. The internet providers have been harder to
pursue legally because they have been able claim they have no knowledge
of any piracy occurring on their networks.
The new government proposals are an attempt to change that, requiring
providers to issue written warnings to subscribers whose IP address - the
unique number assigned to every computer that connects to the Internet -
has been spotted on an illegal download site.
Copyright holders would then be able to use a court order to access
details of any warnings issued by the ISPs and could then begin a civil
lawsuit against any suspected offender.
Internet provider TalkTalk said it would "strongly resist" government
attempts to oblige internet service providers to act as Internet police.
TalkTalk said disconnecting alleged offenders "will be futile given that
it is relatively easy for determined filesharers to mask their identity
or their activity to avoid detection."
The Open Rights Group, which protects civil liberties in the area of
digital technology, said any suspension would "restrict people's
fundamental right to freedom of expression."
But the British Phonographic Industry, which represents the recorded
music industry, said the move was "a step forward that should help the
legal digital market to grow for consumers."
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's last annual
report in January showed that legitimate music sales did not come close
to offsetting the billions of dollars being lost to music piracy. An
estimated 95 percent of music downloads are unauthorized.
Apple's Snow Leopard Goes On Sale Friday
Apple Inc.'s latest operating system software, Snow Leopard, will go on
sale this Friday.
The Mac OS X version 10.6 software will debut at Apple's retail stores
and authorized resellers nationwide. Apple's online store is now taking
pre-orders.
Snow Leopard's release comes days before its promised September launch.
It precedes by two months the launch of Microsoft Corp.'s next operating
system, Windows 7.
Among Snow Leopard's improvements is built-in support for Microsoft's
Exchange Server software, so Apple programs for e-mail, calendars and
contacts could become more useful in corporate settings.
Apple said Snow Leopard is half the size of the previous version,
freeing up to 7 gigabytes of storage space when installed. It requires a
minimum of 1 gigabyte of RAM and runs on Macs using an Intel processor.
Users of Mac OS X Leopard, or version 10.5, can upgrade to the latest
version for $29 for single users and $49 for a family pack of five
users. For Apple owners using the Tiger operating system, or version
10.4, on an Intel-based Mac, switching to Snow Leopard costs $169 for
single users and $229 for a family pack.
Consumers who buy a qualifying Mac from June 8 to Dec. 26 can purchase
the Snow Leopard upgrade for $9.95. Users must request an upgrade within
90 days of purchase or Dec. 26, whichever comes first.
Jessica Biel Will Destroy Your Computer
How did you find this story? Did you find it after Googling the name
Jessica Biel? If so, it may be too late. Jessica Biel is the Internet's
most dangerous celebrity, and if she has her way, she will destroy your
computer.
McAfee on Tuesday released its third annual "Riskiest Celebrities to
Search on the Web" and Biel topped the list, beating out Brad Pitt, who
came in first last year.
According to the study, those who search the terms "Jessica Biel,"
"Jessica Biel downloads," "Jessica Biel wallpaper," "Jessica Biel screen
savers," "Jessica Biel photos" and "Jessica Biel videos" have a 20
percent chance of winding up on a site chalk full of malware like spam,
viruses, spyware, adware, and phishing.
Coming in second to the 7th Heaven star was Beyonce. Jennifer Aniston,
Tom Brady, and Jessica Simpson rounded out the top five, with Megan Fox,
Angelina Jolie, and Miley Cyrus making the top ten.
Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson made the 20th and
30th spots, while Barack and Michelle Obama ranked 34th and 39th.
US Ranks 28th in Internet Connection Speed
The United States ranks 28th in the world in average Internet connection
speed and is not making significant progress in building a faster
network, according to a report released on Tuesday.
The report by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) said the average
download speed in South Korea is 20.4 megabits per second (mbps) - four
times faster than the US average of 5.1 mbps.
Japan trails South Korea with an average of 15.8 mbps followed by Sweden
at 12.8 mbps and the Netherlands at 11.0 mbps, the report said.
It said tests conducted by speedmatters.org found the average US download
speed had improved by only nine-tenths of a megabit per second between
2008 and 2009 - from 4.2 mbps to 5.1 mbps.
"The US has not made significant improvement in the speeds at which
residents connect to the Internet," the report said. "Our nation
continues to fall far behind other countries."
"People in Japan can upload a high-definition video in 12 minutes,
compared to a grueling 2.5 hours at the US average upload speed," the
report said.
It said 18 percent of those who took a US speed test recorded download
speeds that were slower than 768 kilobits per second, which does not
even qualify as basic broadband, according to the Federal Communications
Commission.
Sixty-four percent connected at up to 10 mbps, 19 percent connected at
speeds greater than 10 mbps and two percent exceeded 25 mbps.
The United States was ranked 20th in broadband penetration in a survey
of 58 countries released earlier this year by Boston-based Strategy
Analytics.
South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, Denmark and Taiwan were the top
five countries listed in terms of access to high-speed Internet.
US President Barack Obama has pledged to put broadband in every home and
the FCC has embarked on an ambitious project to bring high-speed
Internet access to every corner of the United States.
According to the CWA report, the fastest download speeds in the United
States are in the northeastern parts of the country while the slowest
are in states such as Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
=~=~=~=
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