Microsoft reveals piracy battle plan for the UK

Microsoft has launched a campaign targeting software piracy in the UK. Called 'Keep IT Real', the campaign aims to reduce the UK piracy level for Windows by five per cent to 11.7 per cent within three years. The company says its goal would help the UK economy.

The Register reports (20 February) that: "Keep IT Real will help us to address the problem in a number of ways," Microsoft UK head of anti-piracy Michala Alexander said. "By educating customers on how to purchase legitimate software, we can protect them from the risks associated with piracy. And by closing down channels for the sale of pirate software, we can reduce the impact of illegal trade on Microsoft's UK partners."

According to The Register, over the next six months, Microsoft plans to send two teams of investigators to 800 technology vendors suspected of hard-disk loading (where PC vendors charge multiple customers for copies of the software pre-installed on PCs, but provide a license agreement valid for only one copy) or other forms of piracy.

Microsoft will then assess the findings of the operation, known as 'Feet on the Street', and decide on the appropriate course of action for each case. This could include prosecution.

The Register says that Microsoft is increasing its commitment to the pursuit of legal action.

According to the publication, earlier this week the company announced the initial results of a crackdown on the sale of counterfeit software in the Glasgow area. In projects spanning three years, investigations were conducted into 12 companies, resulting in court proceedings and payments of up to £75,000 each.

The software giant is also working with auction and retail websites to tackle piracy. It reports that, under eBay's VeRO programme, over 35,000 suspected illegal sales items have been removed from the eBay site since August 2005.

{mospagebreaktitle=Global net tussle reaches uneasy truce}Global net tussle reaches uneasy truce

Governments, business, academia and civil society have reached an uneasy truce at the end of two days of meetings over the creation of a new global body for the internet.

The Register reports (20 February) that there remain a number of large issues to be agreed but, thanks to some heavy prodding by UN special adviser Nitin Desai, enough agreement was reached for a first report to be sent to UN secretary-general Kofi Annan.

Annan was bestowed the task of deciding the form of the new Internet Governance Forum (IGF) by world governments in November, and is expected to make his first recommendations in a fortnight's time.

The Register says that the IGF will be an annual event and will be rotated geographically: so while the first meeting is in Athens, Greece, the offer by the Brazilian government to host IGF 2007 in Rio de Janeiro is likely to be accepted.

The forum will bring together world experts with representatives from governments, non-governmental organisations and business for a period of three to five days to discuss a small number of important internet-related global topics. At the end of the forum, a report, and possibly recommendations for action will be issued.

{mospagebreaktitle=Linux worm targets PHP flaw}Linux worm targets PHP flaw

Internet ne'er do wells have created a Linux worm which uses a recently discovered vulnerability in XML-RPC for PHP, a popular open source component used in many applications, to attack vulnerable systems.

The Register repoprts (20 February) that the Mare-D worm also tries to take advantage of a security flaw in Mambo to spread. If successful, the worm installs an IRC-controlled backdoor on compromised systems.

According to the publication, most affected applications have been updated to address the security flaw exploited by Mare-D, which anti-virus firms rate as a low risk. The malware is noteworthy mainly because of the rarity of malware strains targeting Linux systems rather than the minimal threat it poses.

{mospagebreaktitle=Intel Opening tech centre in Gaza}Intel Opening tech centre in Gaza

Intel, the world's largest semiconductor company, is planning to build the first information technology education centre in the volatile Gaza Strip.

The Associated Press reports in The New York Times (20 February) that the Intel Information Technology Centre of Excellence is intended to provide IT training to Palestinians and stimulate development of high-tech industry in an area where half the labor force is unemployed. The centre is being developed in conjunction with Washington, D.C.-based American Near East Refugee Aid and the Islamic University of Gaza.

AP reports that Intel has had a presence in Israel for more than three decades, but over the past few years has launched an initiative to also expand its investments in the Arab world.

The centre is the company's first large project in the Palestinian territories, an area where American corporate involvement is rare.

The report says the centre will be staffed primarily by Palestinians and will be located a couple of miles outside Gaza City in an area staked out to become a technology park with the Intel centre as its anchor, said Peter Gubser, president of ANERA. Construction is expected to begin in about two months, with completion a year later.

AP reports that the cost to build and equip the centre will only be about US$1 million, because a dollar goes a lot farther in the Middle East, according to ANERA.

{mospagebreaktitle=Active cookies aim to thwart cyber-crooks}Active cookies aim to thwart cyber-crooks

Boffins have come up with a new technique to protect users against more sophisticated forms of cybercrime. Indiana University School of Informatics and affiliated start-up RavenWhite have developed an "active cookie" as a countermeasure against online scams such as pharming and man-in-the-middle attacks.

The Register reports (21 February) that phishing involves trying to trick users into handing over security credentials to bogus websites, prompted through spam messages that pose as as emails from online banking or retail outlets.

Pharming, says The Register, takes this attack one step further by attempting to intercept communication of personal data between a user and a genuine enterprise website by installing spyware, or by subverting DNS servers to redirect users to bogus websites. The technique is quite cunning because, in both cases, a prospective mark tells users they are at the correct website.

According to The Register, the technology is promoted as a shield against identity theft and cyber attacks that can protect against pharming attacks as well as techniques used to hijack Wi-Fi connections or modify consumer router settings.

The researchers admit, however, the technique has its limitations, such as limited persistence and a lack of support for roaming users.

{mospagebreaktitle=Yahoo!Mail bans Allah and Dirty Harry handles}Yahoo!Mail bans Allah and Dirty Harry handles

Yahoo! is banning the use of allah in email names - even if the letters are included within another name.

The Register reports (20 February) that this was uncovered by one of the publication's readers Ed Callahan whose mother Linda Callahan was trying to sign up for a Verizon email address. She could not get it to accept her surname.

Enquiries to Verizon revealed that a partnership with Yahoo! was to blame. Yahoo! will not accept any identies which include the letters "allah".

And, says The Register, nor will Yahoo! accept yahoo, osama or binladen. But it will accept god, messiah, jesus, jehova, buddah, satan and both priest and pedophile.

{mospagebreaktitle=Rumsfeld: US govt insufficiently tech-savvy}Rumsfeld: US govt insufficiently tech-savvy

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has made a speech lamenting the US government's lack of technology in its media operations. He described the administration's PR as "a five-and-dime store" in an "eBay world".

The Register reports (20 February) that Rumsfeld's main point in the four-page soliloquy is that the US Government is less new media-savvy than its detractors. Ironically, many of the administration's detractors have been pointing that out in the media for some time, according to The Register.

In the speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, Rumsfeld complained that while terrorists and such like hate the States 24/7, the Pentagon's PR office only works nine to five.

{mospagebreaktitle=Movie studios sue Samsung}Movie studios sue Samsung

Samsung Electronics is facing legal action from the big five US movie studios which claims one of its DVD players can be used to avoid encryption technology.

The Register reports (20 February) that, according to reports, Samsung is being sued by 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Time Warner, Walt Disney, and Universal.

According to the report, the Korean Times said Samsung had not yet received the complaint. But the spokesman, "guessed that the film makers take issue with DVD-HD841, which Samsung sold in the United States between June and October 2004.

The Korean Times said Samsung had not yet received the complaint. But the spokesman, "guessed that the film makers take issue with DVD-HD841, which Samsung sold in the United States between June and October 2004.

{mospagebreaktitle=Movie trailer premiere on mobile phones in US}Movie trailer premiere on mobile phones in US

Warner Independent Pictures became the first studio to premiere a movie trailer on US mobile phones last week when the trailer for Richard Linklater's ``A Scanner Darkly'' was offered free to Amp'd Mobile customers.

Reuters reports in The New York Times (20 February) that the movie, based on a novel by Philip K. Dick, stars Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder and Rory Cochrane in a highly stylised suburban dystopia blighted by drugs and paranoia.

According to Reuters, the full-length theatrical trailer appears on the Amp'd Mobile entertainment channel, where it will remain through the movie's 7 July  release. WIP said additional promotional content will be added to the channel during the coming weeks.

Amp'd Mobile launched last month. The company describes itself as the only 3G carrier in the US specifically targeting youth and young professionals, which it does by leveraging entertainment properties.

Its handsets come with built-in MP3 players, USB connections for transferring content from a PC, removable memory and full 3G capabilities, reports Reuters.

{mospagebreaktitle=Google denies report on China operation}Google denies report on China operation

Google has denied a report that its Chinese-language search engine, which has been criticised for blocking searches for politically sensitive material, is operating without a required government license.

The Associated Press reports in The New York Times (21 February) that the newspaper Beijing News reported that the ICP -- or internet content provider -- license listed by Google.cn on its web site belongs to a Chinese company, Ganji.com. It said the situation has ''attracted the attention'' of Chinese regulators.

''Google has a partnership with Ganji.com through which Google has the required license to operate Google.cn,'' said Google spokeswoman Debbie Frost in a written response to questions about the report.

AP reports that a spokesman for China's Ministry of Information Industry, which regulates internet use, said it was aware that Google.cn didn't have its own license. The spokesman, Wang Lijian, wouldn't say whether that was permitted by Chinese rules or give any other information.

Some other foreign internet companies such as eBay also operate in China using the licenses of their local partners.

According to AP.,Google and other foreign competitors are eager to gain a share of China's fast-growing online industry, the world's second-largest after the United States, with more than 100 million people online.

Google launched Google.cn last year in an effort to increase its appeal to Chinese web surfers. The company has a Chinese-language search site based abroad, but users complain that Chinese government filters slow access to it.

AP says that the Chinese government operates what is widely regarded as the world's most sweeping effort to monitor and limit internet use, with all online traffic passing through state-controlled gateways and filters block access to foreign sites deemed subversive or pornographic.

Web sites in China are required to remove banned content.

Google and other US internet companies are under criticism from American lawmakers and free-speech advocates for cooperating with such controls, reports AP.

{mospagebreaktitle=EarthLink to offer DirecTV, dish service}EarthLink to offer DirecTV, dish service

In the US., EarthLink has announced that it will offer DirecTV and Dish Network satellite television service in bundled options in select markets across the United States.

The Associated Press reports in The New York Times (20 February) that the Atlanta-based internet service provider said the offers will begin by the end of the first quarter. It did not say in which markets the options will be available nor offer any pricing details.

BellSouth the dominant local telephone provider in nine southeastern states, also has a partnership with DirecTV Inc. to offer bundled services.

AP says that the idea is to allow customers to pay for their telephone, internet and satellite television services on a single monthly bill, adding that there is intense competition to provide such bundled services among traditional telephone companies, internet providers and cable companies.

News Corp. has a 34 percent stake in DirecTV, which has about 15 million customers. Rival EchoStar Communications has about 12 million.

{mospagebreaktitle=AOL, WebEx team up on instant-messaging}AOL, WebEx team up on instant-messaging

In the US., America Online and WebEx Communications are teaming up to provide a business version of AOL's popular AIM instant-messaging software.

A report by The Associated Press in The New York Times (21 February) says that AIM Pro, the business version of the software,will offer more security -- communications, for instance, will be encrypted -- and more features to help workers collaborate, using conferencing tools offered by WebEx. AIM Pro users can communicate with those on the basic AIM, although not all features, including encryption, would be fully available.

AP says that prices were not announced, but AOL said a monthly subscription fee is likely. Individual employees will be able to subscribe, or a company may order a version with centralised management controls for all its workers.

According to AP.,instant-messaging took off among home users first, but in recent years employees have installed the software, usually on their own, as an alternative to phones and e-mail.

AOL, a unit of Time Warner, responded by developing add-ons such as teleconferencing and web conferencing aimed at small businesses. AOL said AIM Pro goes further by offering standalone software built expressly with businesses in mind.

{mospagebreaktitle=Google's desktop security risk}Google's desktop security risk

Businesses have been warned by research company Gartner that the latest Google Desktop Beta has an "unacceptable security risk," and Google agrees.

Cnet reports that earlier this month, Google unveiled Google Desktop 3, a free, downloadable program that includes an option to let users search across multiple computers for files. To do that, the application automatically stores copies of files, for up to a month, on Google servers. From there, copies are transferred to the user's other computers for archiving. The data is encrypted in transmission and while stored on Google servers.

However, the risk to enterprises, according to Gartner, lies in how this shared information is pooled by Google. The data is transferred to a remote server, where it is stored and can then be shared between users for up to 30 days.

Gartner said in a report on Thursday that the "mere transport (of data) outside the enterprise will represent an unacceptable security risk to many enterprises," as intellectual property could be transported out of the business.

Google told ZDNet UK on Monday that it recognised the risk, and recommended that companies take action. "We recognize that this is a big issue for enterprise.

Google confirmed to ZDNet UK that data was temporarily transported outside of businesses when the Search Across Computers feature was used, and that this represented "as much of a security risk as e-mail does."

According to ZDNet,Gartner said that sensitive documents may be inadvertently shared by workers, who may not have specialist knowledge of regulatory or security restrictions.

Google said it was unable to comment on the risks posed when individuals share sensitive information.

Gartner has recommended that businesses use Google Desktop for Enterprise, as this allows systems administrators to centrally turn off the Search Across Computers feature, which it said should be "immediately disabled," reports ZDNet.

{mospagebreaktitle=British SMS boom leads to digit damage}British SMS boom leads to digit damage

Mobile telephone text messaging has become so popular in Britain that millions of users now suffer injuries to their thumbs and fingers because of their love of keeping in touch, according to a survey on Tuesday.

Reuters reports in The New York Times (20 February) that over 93.5 million text messages are sent every day but all this digit action has lead to an explosion in people reporting cases of repetitive strain injury (RSI).

Thirty-eight percent more people suffer from sore wrists and thumbs due to texting than five years ago and 3.8 million people now complain of text-related injuries every year.

Accordng to Reuters,the survey for Virgin Mobile found the texting phenomenon shows no sign of slowing. Over 12 percent of the population admit to sending 20 texts per day and 10 percent confess to sending up to 100 texts every day.

While psychologists say it is important for people to communicate there is a danger that using arms-length tools like texting and email is making people uncomfortable with more intimate face-to-face conversations.

Reuters says that there has even been concern voiced that some people run the risk of becoming addicted to excessive texting.

And, adds Reuters, last March Scottish factory worker Craig Crosbie was crowned the world's fastest texter after he took just 48 seconds to type out the 160-character message: ``The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human.''

{mospagebreaktitle=In-car navigation systems can be dangerous: survey}In-car navigation systems can be dangerous: survey

Fiddling around with in-car satellite navigation systems is causing motorists to lose concentration on the road, according to a survey on Tuesday.

Reuters reports in The New York Times (20 February) that the US surey showed that the new technology, rather than helping motorists, could be even more distracting than trying to read a map at the wheel.

One in 10 motorists with navigation systems set off on their journeys without bothering to program their route, and more than half admitted they had then had to take their eyes off the road to input the details whilst driving.

Nearly one in eight did not even bother to check out a route they were unfamiliar with and simply relied on the technology to get them to their destination.

Reuters says that the survey showed that, in addition, almost one in four motorists said they had read maps while driving although research suggested that this might not be quite so distracting.

The survey of almost 2,000 people by Privilege Insurance found 19 percent of drivers who used their navigation system lost concentration compared to 17 percent reading a map.