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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 13 Issue 42
Volume 13, Issue 42 Atari Online News, Etc. October 21, 2011
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2011
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:
Fred Horvat
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #1342 10/21/11
~ Copyright Czar Cozies ~ People Are Talking! ~ Now We Have Duqu!
~ Great Firewall of China ~ Gmail Redesign Leaked! ~ New PS Vita Release!
~ Batman: Arkham City! ~ Google+ Slow and Sure! ~ Search, Hammertime!
~ Videogame Killer Jailed ~ New Xbox Due in 2013? ~ MySpace A Mistake!
-* Stand Up for Your Freedom! *-
-* IRS Auditing Google Shifted Profits *-
-* Jobs' Memorial Salutes "The Crazy Ones"! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Fall is definitely in the air lately - rain, windy, cooler temps - and
of course, plenty of leaves turning color and falling to the ground! It's
a nice time of the year, but unfortunately, it's a harbinger of what's to
come, winter! Still, I enjoy the relief of the cooler weather; it's more
easy to handle the clean-up of leaves for the next few weeks! And, I still
have a little more time to get my snow thrower tuned-up!
Not much happening this week, if you ignore the dramatic changes throughout
the world lately. You've read the news, so I won't comment (for a change).
What I'm waiting to hear is news of even more "revolutionary" aspects in our
own country. Some kind of "change" is necessary in this country before
there really is a revolution of sorts! And I don't think a presidential
election, and potential change in the office, will be enough! But that's
another story for another time!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - New Xbox due in 2013?
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" PS Vita Release Date!
Batman: Arkham City!
And more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
New Xbox Due in 2013?
Ok everyone, prepare yourselves for something incredible - a new rumor
about the next generation of consoles! Take a moment to regain your
composure.
There have been a whole lot of rumors regarding the debut of the next Xbox
(loving referred to as the Xbox 720 by everyone but Microsoft), as well as
the PlayStation 4. It makes sense, and even if there werent any reports
to back up those rumors the speculation would be running wild because of
the time table alone - not to mention the coming of the Wii U.
A new report coming out of Develop claims that a date has been tentatively
planned by Microsoft. If the report is accurate, the next Xbox will be
unveiled at E3 2013, with a planned launch window of that holiday season,
or early 2014.
The news would be the first confirmation of a release window, but it isnt
surprising. The Xbox 360 debuted in November 2005, and Microsoft has said
that it has a ten year plan for their console. A 2013 release would make
for an eight year gap, plus, a new console release doesnt mean that
support for the Xbox 360 will immediately stop.
If the console is released in late 2013, it will likely be at least two
years before the Xbox 360 comes close to ending its support, probably
more. The release date also fits with some of the rumors we have been
hearing regarding several Xbox-exclusive developers. Recently an Alan Wake
sequel was said to be in development, but it will be for the next
generation of console. Lionshead, developer of the Fable franchise and
Turn 10, developer of the Forza series, are also said to be developing
their next titles for the next-gen.
And if the Xbox 720 is coming in 2013, the PlayStation 4 cant be far
behind. The year lead that Sony gave to Microsoft has proven to be a
massive advantage - at least in America, where the 360 has a huge lead in
terms of sales. Sony is killing it in Japan, but cant afford to give any
more ground to its competitor.
Originally most assumed that the next Xbox would be released in 2015, but
evidence has been mounting that the console will be revealed much sooner
than that. The next batch of rumors put both the next Xbox and the PS4 in
2014, then the reports seemed to suggest that both the next Xbox and the
PS4 would hit in 2012. A new series of job placement ads on LinkedIn seem
to confirm that work is moving ahead at full steam, but 2013 seems like a
more realistic target.
The likely reasoning behind the faster development cycle is the Wii U,
which is due sometime in 2012. The Wii U will not be as powerful as what
most are expecting with the next Xbox and the PS4, but it will be a
significant increase over the Xbox 360 and PS3, not to mention the current
Wii. The question is, are fans willing to upgrade?
Sales on the Wii have been dropping steadily for a while now, and an update
to at least include HD graphics is a must. But the 360 and PS3 both just
seem to be hitting their strides. In general, graphics can always be
improved, but the systems are both continuing to introduce new features
and expand their online footprints. Neither system seems to be close to
reaching its maximum potential. With game sales already slumping, and the
economy not exactly awesome, will people be willing to shell out several
hundred dollars for another new system? Not to mention the games, which,
if they follow the pattern of the previous generations, will raise in
price, possibly to $70 a title.
The fear of losing a head start and surrendering too much of a lead to
Nintendo will likely push both Microsoft and Sony to release their next
consoles sooner than they had originally intended. Whether thats a good
thing though, remains to be seen.
Sony Announces Playstation Vita Release Date for U.S. and Europe
Mark your calendars, gamers: Sonys Playstation Vita will hit shelves
February 22 in the U.S. and Europe.
The official release date for Sonys successor to the Playstation Portable
handheld gaming system was announced earlier this week by the company,
ending months of speculation and rumors.
According to the statement from Sony, the Vita will be available in two
versions at launch: a $250 Wi-Fi model and a $300 model which can use Wi-Fi
and 3G service. Its not clear how many Vita games will be available at
launch, though there are over 100 currently in development.
Rumors spawned by online retailer pre-orders had the Vita pegged for a
December 31 release, though Sony Corp. Executive Vice President Kazuo
Hirai indicated back in August that the system would hit the U.S. and
European markets in "early 2012."
Along with various smartphone-inspired apps for social media and other
tools, the PS Vita features a five-inch, multi-touch screen, front and
rear cameras, two thumbstick controls, a rear touch pad, SixAxis motion
controls, and GPS support.
What it doesnt feature at this point, however, is support for the Universal
Media Disc format used for Playstation Portable games and movies - though
Sony has indicated that its considering methods of easing PSP users (and
their UMD libraries) transition to the new system.
Batman: Arkham City Review
Im going to make this really, really easy for you: If you like video games
with solid action and vividly detailed 3D worlds, youre going to be buying
Batman: Arkham City. Bear in mind, thats not a recommendation. You know
about the game already. You know its 2009 predecessor Batman: Arkham
Asylum was stellar, and that this sequels more open world and diverse
array of characters is a step forward. You were sold on the game long
before you clicked into this review.
Im basically here to confirm what you already knew: Arkham City, for any
of its minor warts or shortfalls, is easily a Game of the Year contender.
The new games story finds Gothams Dark Knight exploring the confines of
Arkham City, an open-air prison built into a walled-off, crumbling section
of the city. The worst of the worst criminals can be found here, which
amount to roughly everyone in the Batman rogues gallery. The Joker is of
course a returning villain and the Riddler is up to his old tricks -
albeit in a much more expanded role - but most of the ugly mugs youll be
beating into submission as the story unfolds werent seen in the first
game.
Things arent going well in Arkham City, and when Two-Face captures, then
plans to publicly execute Catwoman. Meanwhile Batman has his own problems
when his civie identity of Bruce Wayne is targeted by an old enemy. All
roads lead to Arkham City, and once inside Batman must save Catwoman, as
well as uncover what his enemies are planning before the cryptic
'Protocol 10' is enacted.
The basic gameplay is largely unchanged at the most fundamental level,
which makes sense given how effective the first game was at letting
players feel like they can be Batman. You start with almost all of the
gadgets that were obtained by the end of Asylum. Some are missing, waiting
to be obtained as the story progresses, and some are simply new. Overall
however, there are very few surprises on the utility belt side of things.
If theres any surprise, its the sequels dramatically enlarged scope.
Unlike Asylums relatively small outdoor areas separating the different
mission spaces, Arkham City delivers a proper open world. The only load
screens youll see come up when you transition between indoor and outdoor
spaces. To the games credit, those load times tend to be pretty minimal,
as are the ones you face when reloading a checkpoint.
The city is filled with all manner of activities to keep Bats busy. In
addition to the central story, there are a dozen or so villain-specific
side missions that unfold in multiple stages and put Batmans various
abilities to the test. Even when the action calms down and the Worlds
Greatest Detective does his thing, the challenges youre faced with are
much more elaborate than following a trail of glowing breadcrumbs (though
youll do some of that as well).
There are also more than 400 Riddler trophies to be found, many of which
require you to use the various gadgets in your utility belt. As you solve
the various puzzles built around these Riddler trophies, youll unlock new
combat and stealth challenge rooms. There are other challenge rooms as
well, specific to the games other playable character.
Those who buy Arkham City new get to punch in a redemption code that adds
a four-chapter Catwoman-centric story into the game. She becomes a playable
character during certain sections of the story, and youll be able to swap
between her and Batman in specific locations once the main plot has been
completed.
The controls are fundamentally the same between the two characters, but
Catwoman is much more agile than the Dark Knight. Instead of a grappling
hook, shes equipped with a whip that can be used to quickly and easily
traverse the empty spans between buildings. She can also crawl on the
ceilings in certain areas, and shes got a unique, more combat-oriented set
of tools to draw from. Theres value in exploring the city in Selina Kyles
shoes, since there are red Riddler trophies that are specific to her and
her abilities.
Finishing the game once unlocks a New Game Plus mode, which carries over
all of your gadgets and Riddler challenge data into a new, separate save.
Enemies are tougher and random encounters feature a wider range of weapons
and enemy types. In addition, the counter indicator no longer pops up,
meaning youll have to rely on other visual cues in order to successfully
redirect an incoming attack.
For all of Arkham Citys resounding successes, there are a few stumbles.
The main story, is a mess in some fundamental ways. Certain points arent
clearly explained or just go unresolved. Theres also a
been-there-done-that feeling to some of the broader overarching story
strokes. The endgame takes a bit of a risky gamble that ultimately pays
off, but the impact will be cheapened for those who arent able to form a
connection with the larger story.
Fortunately, the side missions fare considerably better. Interestingly,
the wide range of missions and unconnected storylines in Arkham City serve
to enhance the games connection with its comic book roots. Each of the
villain-centric side missions and even the main story all feel like
individual arcs pulled straight from the comics. Some are better than
others, but the sheer variety at play in this games various stories
prevents any weak links in the chain - even the main narratives weak link
- from ruining everything.
I also didnt particularly care for the way upgrades are rationed out as
you play. The RPG-lite experience system works for this game, but the
assortment of unlockable abilities that Batman has access to is
underwhelming. Youre very much being ushered along a largely linear path;
while there are some choices to be made, none of the level-based unlocks
feel particularly impactful or game-changing.
The question every reviewer faces with Arkham City is whether we should
reward iteration over innovation. Asylum was practically perfect as video
games go, offering up a compelling experience that was well-executed, fun
to play and true to its source. Is it fair to come down on Arkham City in
any way for not evolving the 2009 experience more than it does?
I say no. Theres still room for improvement in a few spots, but overall
Arkham City recaptures the magic of Rocksteady Studios first Batman
effort. This is an exceptional game and, for any warts you can find, it
has more than earned its place as one of the 2011 frontrunners for Game of
the Year honors.
Score: 9 out of 10
Man Gets 27 for Killing Infant During Video Game
A Tennessee man has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for killing his
infant son because he bothered him during his video game.
Nineteen-year-old Andrew Keith Johnston pleaded guilty to second-degree
murder in the death of his 1-month-old son.
Assistant District Attorney Mike Randles says Johnston gave a written
statement saying he became irritated when the infant was crying in his
bassinet, interfering with his playing of video games, The Shelbyville
Times-Gazette reports.
The prosecutor says Johnston said he squeezed the boy hard and shook him.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Jobs' Memorial Salutes 'The Crazy Ones'
"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers."
Those words in the Apple "Think Different" TV commercial hit the emotional
center during a memorial service Wednesday for Apple co-founder and CEO
Steve Jobs at company headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. According to CEO
Tim Cook, Jobs himself wrote that script - a description of risk-takers
who changed the world, a description which equally applied to himself.
The commercial includes images of world-changing rebels - Gandhi, Rev.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Albert Einstein and Bob Dylan, among others.
According to an account in the San Jose Mercury News, when Cook played a
recording of Jobs reading those lines, one employee noted that "suddenly
you could hear everyone in the place trying to hold back tears." The
employee added, "It was the best moment of the day."
Other speakers at the ceremony, which took place outside on the quad at the
Apple campus, included former Vice President Al Gore, who is a member of
the Apple board. Coldplay played "Fix You," and Norah Jones sang Bob
Dylan's song, "Forever Young."
But while the "Think Different" commercial reading was emotional, the rest
of the memorial was more festive. Cook's speech touched on his friendship
with Jobs, and Gore's speech focused on the greatness of Apple as a company,
and how Jobs created products that have an emotional attachment to
customers. This, Gore said, is why his death has had such a resonance with
so many people.
The company has reported that more than a million condolence messages have
been left on its site since Jobs' death was announced. Some Apple retail
stores were closed during the 90 minutes of the memorial so that employees
could watch it remotely.
There had been reports that Jobs was working on Apple business during his
last full day alive, a report that now appears to have been confirmed.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said in a recent interview that, on the day the
iPhone 4S was announced, Jobs called Tim Cook while Son was meeting with
Cook. Cook said Jobs wanted to talk about their next product. Speculation
is that the new product was the iPhone 5. Jobs passed away the next day.
Jobs died at age 56 on Oct. 5, following a fight with pancreatic cancer.
On Oct. 7, a private funeral was held for the Apple visionary, and there
was a large, private memorial service on Sunday at Stanford University.
The Sunday service included ex-President Bill Clinton, Gore, Microsoft
co-founder Bill Gates, Google co-founder Larry Page, singer Bono, News
Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch, actor Tim Allen, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, Dell
founder and CEO Michael Dell, Adobe co-founders John Warnock and Chuck
Geschke, and others.
Jobs will continue to be remembered in countless large and small ways, not
the least of which will be a new authorized biography and, reportedly, a
major feature film.
IRS Auditing How Google Shifted Profits
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is auditing how Google Inc. avoided
federal income taxes by shifting profit into offshore subsidiaries,
according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
The agency is bringing more than typical scrutiny to how the company
valued software rights and other intellectual property it licensed
abroad, said the person, who requested anonymity because the audit isnt
public. The IRS has requested information from Google about its offshore
deals after three acquisitions, including its $1.65 billion purchase of
YouTube, the person said. The transfer overseas of these kinds of rights
has enabled Google to attribute earnings to foreign units that pay lower
taxes, Bloomberg News reported a year ago.
While Googles potential liability isnt clear, similar deals between
companies and offshore arms are often the subject of disputes over
hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes, said Daniel Frisch, an
economist at Horst Frisch Inc. which advises businesses on transfer
pricing- the allocation of income between units in different countries. In
2006, the IRS settled a case with drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc for $3.4
billion.
"The very biggest transfer-pricing tax disputes are over transfers of
intangibles to offshore subsidiaries," said Frisch, whose firm is based
in Washington.
Google, owner of the worlds most popular search engine, has cut its
worldwide tax bill by about $1 billion a year using a pair of strategies
called the 'Double Irish' and 'Dutch Sandwich,' which move profits
through units in Ireland, the Netherlands and Bermuda. Google reported an
effective tax rate of 18.8 percent in the second quarter, less than half
the average combined U.S. and state statutory rate of 39.2 percent.
"This is a routine inquiry," said Jim Prosser, a spokesman for Mountain
View, California-based Google. He declined to comment further.
Dean Patterson, a spokesman for the IRS in Washington, said federal law
prohibits the agency from discussing specific taxpayers.
U.S. companies are sitting on at least $1.375 trillion in earnings in
their foreign subsidiaries on which they have paid no federal income
taxes, according to a May report by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Companies
including Google, Cisco Systems Inc., Pfizer Inc., Apple Inc. and
Microsoft Corp. are lobbying Congress for a tax holiday on bringing home
those profits, which would otherwise be subject to U.S. income tax at the
35 percent corporate rate with a credit for foreign taxes already paid.
The Obama administration is opposed to that tax break and has been
stepping up criticism of tax preferences for various industries and
millionaires. Last week, Senate Democrats proposed a new surtax on
people earning at least $1 million a year, a move that would generate an
estimated $453 billion over the coming decade.
The French tax authority also began reviewing Googles income shifting in
December, examining transactions between the companys French and Irish
subsidiaries, according to two people with knowledge of the probe. The
French inquiry was prompted by the October 2010 Bloomberg article on the
companys tax-cutting strategy, the people said.
A spokesman for the French budget ministry, which oversees the tax
authority, declined to comment, saying the agency cannot discuss
individual cases.
Multinational companies cut their tax bills by shifting earnings into
subsidiaries in offshore tax havens, a strategy that is drawing increased
scrutiny from the IRS.
In May, the IRS appointed its first transfer-pricing director, Samuel
Maruca. Last year, it announced the assignment of additional agents and
attorneys to examine a few large companies as part of a pilot program.
The IRS wouldnt discuss whether Google is one of those companies.
Moving profit abroad is particularly important for cutting the tax bills
of technology and pharmaceutical companies because of their valuable and
easily transportable collection of patents and copyrights. Google,
Cisco, Facebook Inc., Microsoft and Forest Laboratories Inc, maker of the
blockbuster antidepressant Lexapro, have used tax-cutting strategies
that move profits into units - often with no employees or offices - in
havens such as Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and Switzerland, Bloomberg has
reported.
In recent years, the IRS has engaged in a number of high profile
disagreements with multinational companies over their transfer pricing.
In 2006, the agency announced it was settling its dispute with
GlaxoSmithKline.
In 2009, the IRS lost a closely watched U.S. Tax Court case with Veritas,
now a part of computer-security software maker Symantec Corp. In that
dispute, over intellectual property rights moved to an offshore subsidiary,
the IRS sought $545 million.
The win for Veritas was a major setback for the IRSs ability to enforce
transfer-pricing rules, according to H. David Rosenbloom, an attorney at
Caplin & Drysdale in Washington, and director of the International Tax
program at New York University School of Law.
Income shifting by multinational companies cost the U.S. $90 billion in
federal tax revenue during 2008, according to a March article in the trade
journal Tax Notes by Kimberly Clausing , an economics professor at Reed
College in Portland, Oregon.
Google cuts its tax bill by about $1 billion a year using a technique
that allocates profits to a unit managed out of a law firm in Bermuda,
where there is no corporate income tax. In 2009, the most recent year for
which records are available, this subsidiary collected 4.34 billion euros
(about $6.1 billion) in royalties from a Google unit in the Netherlands,
according to a Dutch corporate filing.
As of June 30, Google held $18.8 billion in cash in its foreign
subsidiaries, almost half its total $39.1 billion in cash and marketable
securities.
The IRS has already approved a major part of Googles strategy. In 2006,
the agency signed off on a 2003 intracompany transaction that moved
foreign rights to its search technology to an Irish subsidiary managed
in Bermuda called Google Ireland Holdings. That deal - known as a 'buy
in' in tax parlance - meant subsequent profit overseas based on those
copyrights has been attributed to foreign subsidiaries rather than to
Google in the U.S. where the technology was developed.
The IRS approval came in an accord known as an advance pricing agreement.
Those arrangements are part of an agency program intended to forestall
disputes with companies, including disagreements over the price paid by
offshore units for patent and other intellectual property rights.
That deal between the IRS and Google only covered rights the company
held as of the 2003 licensing deal with its Irish unit. It didnt cover
copyrights subsequently acquired by the U.S. parent and then moved abroad.
Following that 2003 transaction, Google made several acquisitions,
spending $1.65 billion for online-video site YouTube in 2006; $625
million for e-mail security service Postini in 2007; and $3.2 billion
for web-advertising company DoubleClick Inc. in 2008. The IRS now is
examining the prices paid by the foreign subsidiaries for the rights to
software and other intangibles moved offshore that formerly belonged to
those three companies.
According to U.S. Treasury Department rules, foreign units licensing
rights from their U.S. parents are supposed to pay an 'arms length'
price, or the amount that would be paid by an unrelated company. If the
offshore subsidiary pays too little, that has the effect of shifting
income overseas, thus helping the parent avoid U.S. income taxes.
Googles taxes have also drawn government scrutiny from the Securities
and Exchange Commission. Last December, the SEC asked the company for
'greater detail' about the profit it said it had earned in countries
with lower tax rates and the impact on its effective tax rate, according to
correspondence released by the agency in March. The SEC said in a February
letter that it had completed its review of Googles filings. It is unclear
what action, if any, the agency took.
In August, Google announced it was spending $12.5 billion to acquire
Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., the Libertyville, Illinois
telecom-equipment and mobile-phone maker. Google said it was doing the
deal primarily for Motorolas collection of valuable patents. Prosser
didnt respond to a question about whether Google would be moving any of
those patent rights offshore.
Beijing Leaps to Defense of "Great Firewall of China"
China defended its right to censor the Internet on Thursday, saying it was
necessary to "safeguard the public" after the United States pressed China
to explain online curbs on U.S. companies.
The United States wants to know why the so-called "Great Firewall of
China" blocks so many U.S. companies from providing services via the
Internet, according to a letter obtained on Wednesday, another sign of
growing trade tension between the world's two largest economies.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said China had actively encouraged
the development of the Internet and protected freedom of speech online.
"At the same time, in terms of China's lawful Internet management, its
purpose is to maintain a good Internet environment and to safeguard
public interest," Jiang told reporters. "These are in line with
internationally accepted practices."
"We are willing to work with countries and communicate with them on the
development of the Internet and to work together to promote the sound
development of the Internet," she said. "But we do not accept using the
excuse of 'Internet freedom' to interfere in other countries' internal
practices."
She added that foreign companies were welcome to do business in the
country.
The U.S. Ambassador to the World Trade Organization, Michael Punke, said
in a letter to his Chinese counterpart on Monday that some companies based
outside China had faced "challenges offering their services to Chinese
customers" when their websites were blocked by China's "national
firewall."
The latest dispute could bring Internet policy back to the foreground of
U.S.-China relations, reprising tension from last year when the Obama
administration took up Google's complaints about hacking and censorship
from China.
Google partly pulled out of China after that dispute.
China, with more than 450 million Internet users, exercises tight control
and censorship over the Web at home, and has strengthened its grip in
recent months.
China bans numerous websites, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and
some foreign media outlets, fearing the uncensored sharing of images and
information could cause social instability and harm national security.
The Great Firewall of China can also cause blockage or slow loading of
websites not subject to the ban, and is the source of widespread
frustration to users in China.
Stand Up for Your Freedom To Install Free Software
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) released a statement open for public
signing, titled "Stand up for your freedom to install free software."
The statement, published at
http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot/statement, is
a response to Microsoft's announcement that if computer makers wish to
distribute machines with the Windows 8 compatibility logo, they must
implement a system called "Secure Boot." The FSF statement warns against
the danger that, if done wrong, this system would have to be called
Restricted Boot, because it could make computers incapable of running
anything but Windows.
The technology in question aims to protect against malware by preventing
unauthorized operating systems components from booting. Stopping
unauthorized tampering could be a feature, says the FSF, but only so long
as it doesn't prevent users from intentionally running and modifying free
software. If the boot system works in this fashion, then it deserves the
name many are already calling it, "Secure Boot."
However, the FSF is concerned that Microsoft and hardware manufacturers
will implement the system in a way that will prevent users from booting
anything other than Windows. In this case, the FSF offers the more accurate
name of Restricted Boot, explaining that such a requirement would be a
severe restriction on computer users and, by giving only a remote third
party control over what's authorized to run on their computers, not a
security feature at all.
"We're looking at a world in which it could become impossible for the
average user to install GNU/Linux on any new computer, so too much is at
stake for us to wait and see if computer manufacturers will do the right
thing. Secure Boot could all too easily become a euphemism for restriction
and control by computer makers and Microsoft - freedom and security
necessitate users being in charge of their own computers," said FSF
executive director, John Sullivan.
Those signing the FSF's statement urge all computer makers implementing
this system to resist any pressure to adopt Restricted Boot:
We, the undersigned, urge all computer makers implementing UEFI's
so-called "Secure Boot" to do it in a way that allows free software
operating systems to be installed. To respect user freedom and truly
protect user security, manufacturers must either allow computer owners to
disable the boot restrictions, or provide a sure-fire way for them to
install and run a free software operating system of their choice.
Signers of the statement commit to "neither purchase nor recommend
computers that strip users of this critical freedom," and to "actively urge
people in our communities to avoid such jailed systems."
"I have been astounded by the number of people reaching out to us from all
over the world, asking us to help build awareness and put pressure on
computer manufacturers," said FSF campaigns manager, Joshua Gay. He added
that "some of the people who contacted us expressed their nightmarish
scenario of having even more hardware being tossed in landfills as a result
of this," referring to the popular trend of reviving older hardware with
GNU/Linux - something that would no longer be possible if more computers
were locked by design into only running Windows.
A more detailed overview of the issue can be found at
http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot/.
Organizations interested in adding a prominent notice of their support
should contact Joshua Gay at campaigns@fsf.org.
Copyright Czar Cozied Up to Big Content, E-mails Show
Top-ranking Obama administration officials, including the US copyright czar,
played an active role in secret negotiations between Hollywood, the
recording industry and ISPs to disrupt internet access for users suspected
of violating copyright law, according to internal White House e-mails.
The e-mails, obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, show the
administrations cozy relationship with Hollywood and the music industrys
lobbying arms, and its early support for the copyright-violation crackdown
system publicly announced in July.
One top official even used her personal e-mail account at least once during
the negotiations with executives and lobbyists from companies ranging from
AT&T to Universal Music.
Internet security and privacy researcher Christopher Soghoian obtained the
e-mails via a government sunshine request for them filed in June, and
provided them to Wired. The e-mails are linked at the end of this story.
The records show the government clearly had a voice in the closed-door
negotiations, though it was not a signatory to the historic accord, which
isnt an actual government policy.
The agreement includes participation by the US largest consumer internet
providers including AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner and Verizon.
It requires internet service providers, for the first time, to punish
residential internet-service customers who media companies suspect are
violating copyright rules by downloading copyrighted movies or music from
peer-to-peer networks.
Those so-called 'mitigation measures' lobbied for by the record labels and
Hollywood include reducing internet speeds and redirecting a subscribers
service to an 'educational' landing page for customers accused of copyright
infringement. Internet providers may eliminate service altogether for
people repeatedly accused of copyright infringement under what the deal
calls 'graduated response.'
The e-mails do not entail much detail of the discussions between the
administration and industry - as any substantive text in the e-mails
was blacked out before being released to Soghoian.
But the communications show that a wide range of officials - from Vice
President Joe Bidens deputy chief of staff Alan Hoffman, the Justice
Departments criminal chief Lanny Breuer to copyright czar Victoria Espinel
- were in the loop well ahead of the accords unveiling.
"These kind of backroom voluntary deals are quite scary, particularly
because they are not subject to judicial review. I wanted to find out what
role the White House has played in the negotiation, but unfortunately, the
OMB (Office of Management and Budget) withheld key documents that would
shed further light on it," Soghoian said when asked why he sought the
documents. He is appealing to OMB to disclose more e-mails.
The e-mails, some of which had the subject line 'counteroffer,' show off
what seems to be a cordial and friendly two-way relationship between
industry and the administration.
Alec French, NBCs top lobbyist, sent copyright czar Espinel an e-mail from
his Blackberry in January of last year, asking if she was "available for
call this am?"
She promptly replied: "Btw, i only check my gmail intermittently now so
much quicker to reach me on omb email," referrring to her work e-mail
address provided by the Office of Management and Budget. She said she was
available for the call. Her personal e-mail address was redacted in the
documents.
Espinel, whose position was created in 2008 as part of intellectual
property reform legislation, declined in an e-mail to Wired to comment for
this story. Instead, the President Barack Obama appointee referred Wired to
the OMB press office. That office neither responded for comment nor replied
to a follow-up e-mail.
First Came Stuxnet Computer Virus: Now There's Duqu
First there was the Stuxnet computer virus that wreaked havoc on Iran's
nuclear program. Now comes "Duqu," which researchers on Tuesday said
appears to be quite similar.
Security software firm Symantec said in a report it was alerted by a
research lab with international connections on Friday to a malicious code
that "appeared to be very similar to Stuxnet." It was named Duqu because
it creates files with "DQ" in the prefix.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it was aware of the reports
and was taking action.
"DHS' Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team has issued
a public alert and will continue working with the cyber security research
community to gather and analyze data and disseminate further information
to our critical infrastructure partners as it becomes available," a DHS
official said.
Symantec said samples recovered from computer systems in Europe and a
detailed report from the unnamed research lab confirmed the new threat was
similar to Stuxnet.
"Parts of Duqu are nearly identical to Stuxnet, but with a completely
different purpose," Symantec said. "Duqu is essentially the precursor to a
future Stuxnet-like attack."
Stuxnet is a malicious software that targets widely used industrial
control systems built by German firm Siemens. It is believed to have
crippled centrifuges Iran uses to enrich uranium for what the United States
and some European nations have charged is a covert nuclear weapons program.
Cyber experts say its sophistication indicates that Stuxnet was produced
possibly by the United States or Israel.
The new Duqu computer virus is designed to gather data from industrial
control system manufacturers to make it easier to launch an attack in the
future by capturing information including keystrokes.
"The attackers are looking for information such as design documents that
could help them mount a future attack on an industrial control facility,"
Symantec said.
"Duqu does not contain any code related to industrial control systems and
is primarily a remote access Trojan (RAT)," Symantec said. "The threat
does not self-replicate."
Duqu shares "a great deal of code with Stuxnet" but instead of being
designed to sabotage an industrial control system, the new virus is
designed to gain remote access capabilities.
"The creators of Duqu had access to the source code of Stuxnet," Symantec
said.
Gmail Leaks Its New Redesign
The Gmail team unwittingly leaked a video showing off an update due for the
email client in the near future. "Weve been hard at work to update Gmail
with a new look," says Google user experience designer Jason Cornwell in
the video YouTube user "crlsndrsjmnz" managed to capture. "Weve completely
redesigned the look and feel of Gmail to make it as clean, simple and
intuitive as possible."
For the most part, the adjustments seem relatively minor but offer improved
flexibility and streamline the Google property with the new Google+ look
(all good stuff, with the exception of more prevalent ads "well get to
that). Theres been ample speculation that the update will coincide or
preface Gmail-Google+ integration, a feature users of the fledging social
network have been calling for since day one.
New Gmail will auto-adapt to fit your browser window as you drag it into
your preferred size. Take this a step further by customization how your
inbox is displayed with new options under the gear icon. You can keep
things nice and tight, allow more space per email, or choose the
in-between. Were guessing netbook users out there will appreciate this
update.
You can also determine what gets the most real estate on the left-hand
sidebar, chat or inbox labels.
If you dont like the stark new Gmail, Google is also including the option
to decorate the space. New high-res images will be available to personalize
your email clients backdrop.
Conversations
This update is oddly reminiscent of Facebook Messages, where your every
communication is linked to show an endless conversation. Gmail will now
format your emails so that they read more like posts on a topic. Google
says this will simultaneously improve readability and make it "feel more
like a real conversation." And in yet another Facebook-like move, profile
pictures will pop up in individual emails as well.
Searching your Gmail account will now drop down a number of features to
help you find what youre looking for as quickly as possible. You can
specify who something is from or to, its subject, what words are or arent
in it, whether it has an attachment, by date - or all of the above.
Of course, Google didnt point out the ad that managed to sneak its way
into the video. It looks like Google will be introducing Smart Ads, which
collect data over time to offer predictive marketing instead of just
scanning the email you have open for keywords. It appears they will sit in
below the reply box. Googles had something of a contentious relationship
when it comes to ads in Gmail, and there could easily be user backlash to
the latest change.
Search, Hammertime: M.C. Hammer Announces New Search Engine Wiredoo
You might remember M.C. Hammer as an oddly-dressed, harem pants-clad rapper
from back in the 80s and 90s. But more recently, Hammer (or Stanley Kirk
Burrell in real life) has been making his living as an entrepreneur. Among
his ventures are a Mixed Martial Arts management company as well as,
believe it or not, a new search engine called Wiredoo.
Burrell is a prolific Twitter user, with 2.25 million followers, so his
interest in social media and technology in general isn't exactly a secret.
But that doesn't mean announcing a search engine during this year's Web
2.0 Summit didn't catch us by surprise. He explains that Wiredoo isn't just
about finding results through keywords - results from what Burrell calls
"relationship search" are more in-depth.
He used the zip code 90210 as a search term example during his
presentation. He claims that upon searching 90210, Wiredoo will be able to
show comprehensive results compartmentalized into sections such as schools,
homes, and crime rates. From there, you can dig deeper - clicking on
schools, for instance, shows your average SAT scores and truancy rate.
Wiredoo (a project that's been in the works for two years) isn't meant to
take on search giant Google. He says that he and his team are just putting
Wiredoo out there because they believe it can be useful. You're out of
luck if you want to know right now just how useful it can be, though -
Wiredoo's target launch is the end of this quarter, so nobody can touch it
yet.
Google+ Slow and Sure in Challenge to Facebook
Google remains undaunted in its bid to create a flourishing online
community that can go toe-to-toe with social networking powerhouse
Facebook.
The California Internet titan's popular products and services will
increasingly be woven into its nascent but fast-growing Google+ social
network to make joining irresistible, executives said Thursday.
"We are in an enviable position that we have people who come to Google,"
Vic Gundotra, vice president in charge of Google+, said at a Web 2.0
Summit in San Francisco.
"We are in this for the long haul... By Christmas you will see Google+
strategy coming together."
Google+ has attracted more than 40 million users since it opened to the
public about a month ago, but has a long way to catch up with Facebook's
membership of approximately 800 million.
In the coming days, programs offered as online services at Google Apps will
work with Google+ accounts, which will eventually synch with other popular
offerings such as YouTube.
Google plans to eventually open its social networking platform to outside
developers to make games and other kinds of installable "apps" that have
been part of Facebook's success, according to Gundotra.
Google+ will also eventually allow people to use pseudonyms on accounts
instead of their real names, he said, touching on one of the criticisms of
the social network.
Google is moving slowly and cautiously to make sure its social network is
a safe, stable haven for families, friends, and other associates who
connect with one another in "circles" created at the service.
Gundotra acknowledged that Facebook has the advantage of a "network
affect," in that complex webs of friends are established there and people
might find it daunting to up and relocate to Google+.
"The incumbent has a huge advantage," Gundotra said. "If you play the same
game, you are not going to win... So we are going to do it differently."
Differently, for Google+, includes giving users more discretion regarding
what they share and with whom.
"We do not believe in over-sharing," Gundotra said.
"There is a reason why every thought in your head does not come out your
mouth... We think a core attribute to being human is to curate."
Google+ launched with a requirement that people use their real names
online in order to let others find them more easily, according to
executives.
"We wanted this to be a product where you can discover people you know,"
Gundotra said. "You don't know 'Captain Crunch' or 'Dog Fart'."
Google co-founder Sergey Brin said that he initially thought Google+ was
too complicated, but has come to like the online community that lets users
create "circles" of contacts depending on intimacy.
"I have connected with friends who I haven't touched base with in a
while," Brin said at the summit.
"I wasn't able to do that with existing services because of the way the
sharing models worked," he said in an indirect reference to social
networking king Facebook. "It just didn't work for me."
Brin said that Google has been streamlining its product line and merging
offerings under the leadership of fellow co-founder Larry Page, who
replaced Eric Schmidt as chief executive earlier this year.
"I completely agree that some of our products and services seemed scattered
over the past few years, and we definitely have been trying to bring them
together," Brin said.
"In some ways, we have always run the company as 'let a thousand flowers
bloom,' but once they do bloom, you want to put together a coherent
bouquet."
Brin added that he was happy in his new role working on special projects,
such as Google's self-driving car, and getting to be the "peanut gallery"
when Page is grappling with executive decisions.
Myspace Purchase A 'Huge Mistake': Murdoch
News Corp's purchase of Myspace was a "huge mistake" and the social network
was mismanaged "in every possible way" following the acquisition, chief
executive Rupert Murdoch said Friday.
Murdoch, addressing shareholders at the media and entertainment company's
annual meeting in Los Angeles, said News Corp.'s 2005 purchase of Myspace
for $580 million was seen as "fantastic" at the time.
"We paid $600 million," Murdoch said. "We could have sold it for $6
billion a month later."
Myspace, however, was quickly eclipsed by Facebook, which has grown to
more than 800 million members as Myspace's numbers have dwindled.
"I made a huge mistake," Murdoch said of the Myspace acquisition.
"We then proceeded to mismanage it in every possible way," he said, adding
that "all of the people concerned with it are no longer with the company."
News Corp. sold Myspace in June for $35 million, just six percent of its
purchase price, to Specific Media, a digital ad-targeting platform.
Murdoch also defended News Corp. during the meeting from criticisms by
shareholders angry about a phone-hacking scandal in Britain that led to the
closure of the tabloid weekly The News of the World.
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