By JOHN SCHWARTZ nytimes.com 12/30/us/30privacy
Published: December 29, 2009
The technology exists to reveal objects hidden under clothes at airport checkpoints, and many experts say it would have detected the explosive packet carried aboard the Detroit-bound flight last week. But it has been fought by privacy advocates who say it is too intrusive, leading to a newly intensified debate over the limits of security.
Screening technologies with names like millimeter-wave and backscatter X-ray can show the contours of the body and reveal foreign objects. Such machines, properly used, are a leap ahead of the metal detectors used in most airports, and supporters say they are necessary to keep up with the plans of potential terrorists.
“If they’d been deployed, this would pick up this kind of device,” Michael Chertoff, the former homeland security secretary, said in an interview, referring to the packet of chemicals hidden in the underwear of the Nigerian man who federal officials say tried to blow up the Northwest Airlines flight.
But others say that the technology is no security panacea, and that its use should be carefully controlled because of the risks to privacy, including the potential for its ghostly naked images to show up on the Internet.
“The big question to our country is how to balance the need for personal privacy with the safety and security needs of our country,” said Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican who sponsored a successful measure in the House this year to require that the devices be used only as a secondary screening method and to set punishments for government employees who copy or share images. (The bill has not passed in the Senate.)
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Critics of H-P Software Soften Their Stance
By Justin Scheck
Two people named Desi and Wanda recently set off an uproar with a YouTube video claiming that Hewlett-Packard computers are racist, based on the performance of the company’s facial-recognition software. After a discussion with the company, they seem to be backing down a bit.
Desi is black and Wanda is white. Their video shows H-P’s software making a Web cam follow Wanda’s face, zooming in and out as she moved near or away from the computer. But when “black Desi gets in there, no face recognition anymore,” Desi says onscreen. Indeed, the camera does appear to stop moving when his face shows up.
In response, H-P issued a statement that “proper foreground lighting is required for the product to effectively track any person and their movements.” A spokeswoman for the company declined to comment on why lighting that was okay for Wanda was apparently insufficient for Desi.
After the uproar, a publication called The Grio tested the device for itself and concluded the software isn’t racist: “When our staff sat in front of the face-tracking camera, it responded effectively to people of all shades and colors.”
Through it all, we didn’t know who Desi or Wanda were. Now, it looks like they’ve come out.
A statement issued by Wanda to the Web site Mashable says that their names are Wanda Zamen and Desi Cryer, and they work in the sales department at Toppers Camping Center in Waller, Tex.
The statement says it was their intention “to provide a good natured chuckle to our fellow man,” and they did not imagine that so many people would watch and react to the video.
“We do not really think that a machine can be racist, or that HP is purposely creating software that excludes people of color,” the statement continues. “We think it is just a glitch.”
Somewhat more mysteriously, the statement adds: “H-P has been in contact with us about this matter, at this time that is all we are at liberty to say.”
How does the company characterize what happened? “We had a friendly conversation,” the H-P spokeswoman said. “We encouraged them to use better lighting.” ------From WSJ Blogs
---http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com
Two people named Desi and Wanda recently set off an uproar with a YouTube video claiming that Hewlett-Packard computers are racist, based on the performance of the company’s facial-recognition software. After a discussion with the company, they seem to be backing down a bit.
Desi is black and Wanda is white. Their video shows H-P’s software making a Web cam follow Wanda’s face, zooming in and out as she moved near or away from the computer. But when “black Desi gets in there, no face recognition anymore,” Desi says onscreen. Indeed, the camera does appear to stop moving when his face shows up.
In response, H-P issued a statement that “proper foreground lighting is required for the product to effectively track any person and their movements.” A spokeswoman for the company declined to comment on why lighting that was okay for Wanda was apparently insufficient for Desi.
After the uproar, a publication called The Grio tested the device for itself and concluded the software isn’t racist: “When our staff sat in front of the face-tracking camera, it responded effectively to people of all shades and colors.”
Through it all, we didn’t know who Desi or Wanda were. Now, it looks like they’ve come out.
A statement issued by Wanda to the Web site Mashable says that their names are Wanda Zamen and Desi Cryer, and they work in the sales department at Toppers Camping Center in Waller, Tex.
The statement says it was their intention “to provide a good natured chuckle to our fellow man,” and they did not imagine that so many people would watch and react to the video.
“We do not really think that a machine can be racist, or that HP is purposely creating software that excludes people of color,” the statement continues. “We think it is just a glitch.”
Somewhat more mysteriously, the statement adds: “H-P has been in contact with us about this matter, at this time that is all we are at liberty to say.”
How does the company characterize what happened? “We had a friendly conversation,” the H-P spokeswoman said. “We encouraged them to use better lighting.” ------From WSJ Blogs
---http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com
HP Investigates Claims of ‘Racist’ Computers
By Brian X. Chen
December 22, 2009
The YouTube page -- The YouTube page-------- The YouTube page
WATCH THE VIDEO
The YouTube page The YouTube page
WATCH THE VIDEO
--A COMMENT A software problem with light and a missed opportunity for financial gain.
From wired.com GADGET LAB
December 22, 2009
The YouTube page -- The YouTube page-------- The YouTube page
WATCH THE VIDEO
The YouTube page The YouTube page
WATCH THE VIDEO
--A COMMENT A software problem with light and a missed opportunity for financial gain.
From wired.com GADGET LAB
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
US appoints Howard Schmidt as cybersecurity chief
The White House has appointed its cyber tsar, following a seven month search.
Howard Schmidt, a former eBay and Microsoft executive who advised President Bush, was appointed after others turned down the job.
Mr Schmidt has been set the task of uniting various disparate agencies and organisations to shore up the country's defence against cyber attack.
In May this year, President Obama pledged to personally appoint someone to the post.
In a letter posted on the White House website, John Brennan, assistant to the President for homeland security and counterterrorism said that protecting the internet was "critical to our national security, public safety and our personal privacy and civil liberties".
"It's also vital to President Obama's efforts to strengthen our country, from the modernisation of our health care system to the high-tech job creation central to our economic recovery."
Mr Schmidt would have "regular access to the President and serve as a key member of his National Security Staff", he said.
The White House's acting cyber-security head, Melissa Hathaway, stood down in August after complaining that the post did not allow her to implement necessary changes. --BBC NEWS
Howard Schmidt, a former eBay and Microsoft executive who advised President Bush, was appointed after others turned down the job.
Mr Schmidt has been set the task of uniting various disparate agencies and organisations to shore up the country's defence against cyber attack.
In May this year, President Obama pledged to personally appoint someone to the post.
In a letter posted on the White House website, John Brennan, assistant to the President for homeland security and counterterrorism said that protecting the internet was "critical to our national security, public safety and our personal privacy and civil liberties".
"It's also vital to President Obama's efforts to strengthen our country, from the modernisation of our health care system to the high-tech job creation central to our economic recovery."
Mr Schmidt would have "regular access to the President and serve as a key member of his National Security Staff", he said.
The White House's acting cyber-security head, Melissa Hathaway, stood down in August after complaining that the post did not allow her to implement necessary changes. --BBC NEWS
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Virgin Extends Government's Free Cell Phone Program
Sascha Segan - PC Magazine Sascha Segan - Pc Magazine – Wed Dec 9, 10:02 am ET
Free, government-funded cell phones may be the target of right-wing rage but they're real, they're out there and they're getting more free minutes.
Virgin Mobile on Wednesday announced Assurance Wireless, a government-funded program to offer Kyocera Jax phones with 200 minutes per month to poor or disabled people in New York, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. That's a big bump up from their major competitor, TracFone's SafeLink Wireless, which only offers around 60 free minutes per month, varying state by state.
Free phones and service are available to low-income families or folks participating in a range of government "welfare" programs, including Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
The free phones aren't a new, Obama-era benefit; they're actually part of a program that started back in 1997 called LifeLine which followed from the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The program was enhanced in 2005 during the Bush administration, and SafeLink started disbursing free phones in 2008. According to LifeLine's Web page, "similar programs have existed since at least 1985."
The program is funded by the Universal Service Fund, which you see as a surcharge on your phone bill. The USF used to subsidize landline service for low-income and disabled people. Now it's allowed to subsidize wireless service as well. That especially helps folks who move frequently, or are living in motels, bunking with family, or are homeless - in many cases, the most struggling folks in America.
Up until now, most cellular LifeLine service was provided through SafeLink, which operates in nineteen states. SafeLink's service provides fewer minutes than Virgin's, but their phones may have better coverage. Virgin, a subsidiary of Sprint, exclusively uses Sprint's network to make calls. Depending on where you live, TracFone may be able to use multiple networks to provide better coverage.
Other major cell phone companies all participate in LifeLine, but they provide discounted, not free service. Verizon Wireless, AT&T Sprint, Cricket and T-Mobile all offer discounted wireless service as part of the LifeLine program.
-From Yahoo News
Free, government-funded cell phones may be the target of right-wing rage but they're real, they're out there and they're getting more free minutes.
Virgin Mobile on Wednesday announced Assurance Wireless, a government-funded program to offer Kyocera Jax phones with 200 minutes per month to poor or disabled people in New York, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. That's a big bump up from their major competitor, TracFone's SafeLink Wireless, which only offers around 60 free minutes per month, varying state by state.
Free phones and service are available to low-income families or folks participating in a range of government "welfare" programs, including Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
The free phones aren't a new, Obama-era benefit; they're actually part of a program that started back in 1997 called LifeLine which followed from the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The program was enhanced in 2005 during the Bush administration, and SafeLink started disbursing free phones in 2008. According to LifeLine's Web page, "similar programs have existed since at least 1985."
The program is funded by the Universal Service Fund, which you see as a surcharge on your phone bill. The USF used to subsidize landline service for low-income and disabled people. Now it's allowed to subsidize wireless service as well. That especially helps folks who move frequently, or are living in motels, bunking with family, or are homeless - in many cases, the most struggling folks in America.
Up until now, most cellular LifeLine service was provided through SafeLink, which operates in nineteen states. SafeLink's service provides fewer minutes than Virgin's, but their phones may have better coverage. Virgin, a subsidiary of Sprint, exclusively uses Sprint's network to make calls. Depending on where you live, TracFone may be able to use multiple networks to provide better coverage.
Other major cell phone companies all participate in LifeLine, but they provide discounted, not free service. Verizon Wireless, AT&T Sprint, Cricket and T-Mobile all offer discounted wireless service as part of the LifeLine program.
-From Yahoo News
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Many people don"t like their cell service,according to Consumer Reports
December 3, 2009
Can you hear me now? Consumer Reports polled more than 50,000 readers and found that only 54% of its participants said they were completely or very satisfied with their cellphone service. I know you hear me now.
Almost two-thirds of respondents had at least one major complaint. The top gripe? About 1 in 5 readers cited high prices. As a result, relatively cheaper prepaid service contracts are becoming increasingly popular, the study reported.
Verizon received the nod for offering the best cellphone service, it received higher marks for voice connectivity, customer service, messaging and Web/e-mail service than T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T. But it's expensive.
T-Mobile ranked as the second-best overall service carrier. It offers some plans that are less expensive than Verizon's, which pleases many customers, but it received lower basic scores than its competitor.
Sprint and AT&T came in at the bottom. Sprint got a low score for customer service, while AT&T received complaints for its voice connectivity -- or lack thereof.
Ironically, even though AT&T is the Apple iPhone's exclusive service provider, the iPhone won top smart phone honors, with 98% of users saying they'd buy the phone again. Hmmm...a cellphone won top honors even though its voice connectivity is considered among the worst. My oh my, how the cellphone's purpose has changed.
-- Melissa Rohlin -LA Times - Tech
Can you hear me now? Consumer Reports polled more than 50,000 readers and found that only 54% of its participants said they were completely or very satisfied with their cellphone service. I know you hear me now.
Almost two-thirds of respondents had at least one major complaint. The top gripe? About 1 in 5 readers cited high prices. As a result, relatively cheaper prepaid service contracts are becoming increasingly popular, the study reported.
Verizon received the nod for offering the best cellphone service, it received higher marks for voice connectivity, customer service, messaging and Web/e-mail service than T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T. But it's expensive.
T-Mobile ranked as the second-best overall service carrier. It offers some plans that are less expensive than Verizon's, which pleases many customers, but it received lower basic scores than its competitor.
Sprint and AT&T came in at the bottom. Sprint got a low score for customer service, while AT&T received complaints for its voice connectivity -- or lack thereof.
Ironically, even though AT&T is the Apple iPhone's exclusive service provider, the iPhone won top smart phone honors, with 98% of users saying they'd buy the phone again. Hmmm...a cellphone won top honors even though its voice connectivity is considered among the worst. My oh my, how the cellphone's purpose has changed.
-- Melissa Rohlin -LA Times - Tech
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Power-guzzling TVs to be banned
Energy-hungry television sets will soon be banned across California in a landmark move by state legislators to reduce energy consumption.
The state will be the first in the US to impose a mandatory energy curb on TVs, an often-overlooked power drain.
Supporters say the move will help save California residents more than $8bn over 10 years in energy costs.
But some 25% of TVs currently on sale would not meet the minimum standards, an industry group in Virginia said.
The California Energy Commission will require that all new television sets up to 58 inches (147cm) be more energy efficient by 2011, consuming 33% less energy than current sets.
The standards will get even tougher in 2013, when regulators will require sets to be 50% more efficient.
"We have every confidence this industry will be able to meet the rule and then some," energy commissioner Julia Levin said.
"It will save consumers money, it will help protect public health and it will spark innovation."
Television usage currently accounts for 10% of home electricity use in California, according to the state's energy commission.
'Limit choice'
Environmental groups applauded the tougher standards, saying the new rules would help avoid the need for a new 500-megawatt power plant to be built and save nearly $1bn each year.
However, some consumer advocates and industry leaders opposed the move, saying it would limit consumer choice and increase the price of television sets.
"It could drive up costs," said Dave Arland, who represents the plasma television industry.
"The ones that are super energy efficient are the ones that are more pricey."
California has long pioneered environmental change, setting tough standards on everything from refrigerators to washing machines.
As a result, electricity use in the state has stayed level for nearly three decades, whereas it has risen elsewhere in the US. BBC News.bbc.co.uk
The state will be the first in the US to impose a mandatory energy curb on TVs, an often-overlooked power drain.
Supporters say the move will help save California residents more than $8bn over 10 years in energy costs.
But some 25% of TVs currently on sale would not meet the minimum standards, an industry group in Virginia said.
The California Energy Commission will require that all new television sets up to 58 inches (147cm) be more energy efficient by 2011, consuming 33% less energy than current sets.
The standards will get even tougher in 2013, when regulators will require sets to be 50% more efficient.
"We have every confidence this industry will be able to meet the rule and then some," energy commissioner Julia Levin said.
"It will save consumers money, it will help protect public health and it will spark innovation."
Television usage currently accounts for 10% of home electricity use in California, according to the state's energy commission.
'Limit choice'
Environmental groups applauded the tougher standards, saying the new rules would help avoid the need for a new 500-megawatt power plant to be built and save nearly $1bn each year.
However, some consumer advocates and industry leaders opposed the move, saying it would limit consumer choice and increase the price of television sets.
"It could drive up costs," said Dave Arland, who represents the plasma television industry.
"The ones that are super energy efficient are the ones that are more pricey."
California has long pioneered environmental change, setting tough standards on everything from refrigerators to washing machines.
As a result, electricity use in the state has stayed level for nearly three decades, whereas it has risen elsewhere in the US. BBC News.bbc.co.uk
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Sony Ericsson closes NC, other sites as HQ moves
By EMERY P. DALESIO (AP)
RALEIGH, N.C. — Cell phone handset maker Sony Ericsson will move its North American headquarters from North Carolina to Atlanta and close a half-dozen sites worldwide as it retrenches against what it expects will be a tighter market and cuts about 1,600 jobs globally.
The joint venture between Sweden's LM Ericsson and Japan's Sony Corp. will consolidate product development operations by closing sites in Research Triangle Park; Seattle; Miami; San Diego; Kista, Sweden; and Chennai, India, spokeswoman Stacy Doster said.
The site closures are new elements of a plan announced in April to cut worldwide staff of 10,000 by 20 percent at the joint venture between Sweden's LM Ericsson and Japan's Sony Corp., Doster said. About 400 jobs have been cut since then and about 1,600 remain to meet that goal by the middle of next year, she said.
The cost-cutting follows the loss of 2,000 jobs last year.
The 8-year-old company has about 425 workers left in Research Triangle Park after shedding hundreds of jobs in the past year. Operations include customer support, customers service, sales, finance and research and development.
Doster said she did not know how many were employed at other locations the company planned to close. She also did not know how many would be added in Atlanta when that site takes over North American headquarters functions.
"There's a project team looking at what makes sense in what areas of the business," Doster said. "We've got to figure all that out across the whole organization."
Atlanta was chosen in part because of its proximity to AT&T Inc., one of the company's largest customers, Doster said. The city also is desirable as a "gateway into Latin America" because of its international connections through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, she said.
Product development would be consolidated in Sony Ericsson operations in Redwood Shores, Calif.; Lund, Sweden; Tokyo; and Beijing, Doster said.
The company announced last month that its losses worsened to euro164 million ($245 million) amid falling sales in the third quarter, up from a euro25 million ($37.25 million) loss in the same period a year ago. Sales during the quarter dropped by more than 40 percent.
Sony Ericsson said its share of the global handset market came to around 5 percent in the third quarter, compared to 38 percent for market leader Nokia Corp.
-http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com
RALEIGH, N.C. — Cell phone handset maker Sony Ericsson will move its North American headquarters from North Carolina to Atlanta and close a half-dozen sites worldwide as it retrenches against what it expects will be a tighter market and cuts about 1,600 jobs globally.
The joint venture between Sweden's LM Ericsson and Japan's Sony Corp. will consolidate product development operations by closing sites in Research Triangle Park; Seattle; Miami; San Diego; Kista, Sweden; and Chennai, India, spokeswoman Stacy Doster said.
The site closures are new elements of a plan announced in April to cut worldwide staff of 10,000 by 20 percent at the joint venture between Sweden's LM Ericsson and Japan's Sony Corp., Doster said. About 400 jobs have been cut since then and about 1,600 remain to meet that goal by the middle of next year, she said.
The cost-cutting follows the loss of 2,000 jobs last year.
The 8-year-old company has about 425 workers left in Research Triangle Park after shedding hundreds of jobs in the past year. Operations include customer support, customers service, sales, finance and research and development.
Doster said she did not know how many were employed at other locations the company planned to close. She also did not know how many would be added in Atlanta when that site takes over North American headquarters functions.
"There's a project team looking at what makes sense in what areas of the business," Doster said. "We've got to figure all that out across the whole organization."
Atlanta was chosen in part because of its proximity to AT&T Inc., one of the company's largest customers, Doster said. The city also is desirable as a "gateway into Latin America" because of its international connections through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, she said.
Product development would be consolidated in Sony Ericsson operations in Redwood Shores, Calif.; Lund, Sweden; Tokyo; and Beijing, Doster said.
The company announced last month that its losses worsened to euro164 million ($245 million) amid falling sales in the third quarter, up from a euro25 million ($37.25 million) loss in the same period a year ago. Sales during the quarter dropped by more than 40 percent.
Sony Ericsson said its share of the global handset market came to around 5 percent in the third quarter, compared to 38 percent for market leader Nokia Corp.
-http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Obama: Gunman in Fort Hood rampage to pay for crimes
Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:24pm EST
Continued from page one
Investigators tried to interview Hasan on Sunday at the military hospital where he was recovering from gunshots that subdued him during the attack but he invoked his right to speak to a lawyer, government officials said.
They declined to speculate about his possible motive.
The shootings took place at Fort Hood's crowded Soldiers Readiness Processing Center, where troops get medical checkups before deploying abroad. Authorities have decided to charge Hasan in a military court, officials said.
(Writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by John O'Callaghan
-http://harlemblogosphere.blogspot.com
Continued from page one
Investigators tried to interview Hasan on Sunday at the military hospital where he was recovering from gunshots that subdued him during the attack but he invoked his right to speak to a lawyer, government officials said.
They declined to speculate about his possible motive.
The shootings took place at Fort Hood's crowded Soldiers Readiness Processing Center, where troops get medical checkups before deploying abroad. Authorities have decided to charge Hasan in a military court, officials said.
(Writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by John O'Callaghan
-http://harlemblogosphere.blogspot.com
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Know What Google Knows About You with 'Dashboard'
11.05.09
by Brian Heater
That whole "don't be evil" thing is all well and good, but when a company's whole goal is cataloging the world's information, it would--at the very least--be nice to know what Google knows about you.
The company has just launched Dashboard, which aggregates the different information its gathered from 20 different Google products, including Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Web History, Orkut, YouTube, Picasa, Talk, Reader, Alerts, and Latitude.
You'll need to sign in to view your own personal information. Users can also edit account information from the page, such as privacy settings. Of course transparency doesn't mean that you can't still pat yourself on the back.The scale and level of detail of the Dashboard is unprecedented, and we're delighted to be the first Internet company to offer this--and we hope it will become the standard," Google said in a statement.
Originally posted to AppScout.
by Brian Heater
That whole "don't be evil" thing is all well and good, but when a company's whole goal is cataloging the world's information, it would--at the very least--be nice to know what Google knows about you.
The company has just launched Dashboard, which aggregates the different information its gathered from 20 different Google products, including Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Web History, Orkut, YouTube, Picasa, Talk, Reader, Alerts, and Latitude.
You'll need to sign in to view your own personal information. Users can also edit account information from the page, such as privacy settings. Of course transparency doesn't mean that you can't still pat yourself on the back.The scale and level of detail of the Dashboard is unprecedented, and we're delighted to be the first Internet company to offer this--and we hope it will become the standard," Google said in a statement.
Originally posted to AppScout.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Google Voice lets users keep phone number
Tue Oct 27, 2009 10:06am EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc has introduced a new feature that will allow consumers to use its Google Voice service without switching to a special phone number, potentially broadening the appeal of the nascent, and controversial, service.
Google said late Monday that new users of its service will be able to have the calls that they don't answer forwarded to a special Google Voice electronic mailbox, essentially bypassing the voicemail provided by their phone carriers.
Google Voice offers a variety of voicemail management features, including unlimited storage and text transcription of voicemail messages.
The service also allows consumers to make low-priced international calls by routing portions of the call over Google's infrastructure and the Internet.
Until now, using Google Voice required adopting a special Google phone number. The new feature allows people to retain their existing phone numbers.
Craig Walker, a group product manager for real time communications at Google, said the company will provide users with a special code to enter into their phone which forwards unanswered calls to a Google-maintained voicemailbox.
Walker said the call-forwarding feature did not require striking special deals with the phone carriers.
"Virtually all the carriers already allow this," said Walker.
He noted that cell phone operators generally approve of call-forwarding since the carriers charge airtime minutes even after a call has been forwarded to another phone number.
"It allows them to continue running the meter, they charge per minute while I'm on that diverted call," said Walker.
Google Voice, which was launched in March, is available to a limited number of people who have received invitations from Google or from other Google Voice users.
Walker said the company hopes to make the service open to the general public relatively soon, though he would not specify when. He also declined to say how many people use Google Voice, but said the company has been pleased with the numbers.
The product has earned positive reviews in the technology press as well as some degree of controversy.
Google has said that Apple Inc rejected the Google Voice application for the iPhone, while Apple has maintained that it is still studying the software. The dispute has drawn the attention of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
And earlier this month, lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives called on the FCC to investigate reports, cited by AT&T Inc, that Google Voice was blocking costly calls to phone numbers in certain rural areas in order to cut down on expenses.
(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic Editing by Richard Chang)
-http://davidsradiotv2000.blogospot.com
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc has introduced a new feature that will allow consumers to use its Google Voice service without switching to a special phone number, potentially broadening the appeal of the nascent, and controversial, service.
Google said late Monday that new users of its service will be able to have the calls that they don't answer forwarded to a special Google Voice electronic mailbox, essentially bypassing the voicemail provided by their phone carriers.
Google Voice offers a variety of voicemail management features, including unlimited storage and text transcription of voicemail messages.
The service also allows consumers to make low-priced international calls by routing portions of the call over Google's infrastructure and the Internet.
Until now, using Google Voice required adopting a special Google phone number. The new feature allows people to retain their existing phone numbers.
Craig Walker, a group product manager for real time communications at Google, said the company will provide users with a special code to enter into their phone which forwards unanswered calls to a Google-maintained voicemailbox.
Walker said the call-forwarding feature did not require striking special deals with the phone carriers.
"Virtually all the carriers already allow this," said Walker.
He noted that cell phone operators generally approve of call-forwarding since the carriers charge airtime minutes even after a call has been forwarded to another phone number.
"It allows them to continue running the meter, they charge per minute while I'm on that diverted call," said Walker.
Google Voice, which was launched in March, is available to a limited number of people who have received invitations from Google or from other Google Voice users.
Walker said the company hopes to make the service open to the general public relatively soon, though he would not specify when. He also declined to say how many people use Google Voice, but said the company has been pleased with the numbers.
The product has earned positive reviews in the technology press as well as some degree of controversy.
Google has said that Apple Inc rejected the Google Voice application for the iPhone, while Apple has maintained that it is still studying the software. The dispute has drawn the attention of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
And earlier this month, lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives called on the FCC to investigate reports, cited by AT&T Inc, that Google Voice was blocking costly calls to phone numbers in certain rural areas in order to cut down on expenses.
(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic Editing by Richard Chang)
-http://davidsradiotv2000.blogospot.com
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Verizon's Mystery Droid Takes Aim at Apple's iPhone
New Ad Campaign Targets iPhone With Tagline, 'Whatever iDon't, Droid Does'
By KI MAE HEUSSNEROct. 21, 2009
In an aggressive new ad campaign teasing a mystery phone with the potential to slay Apple's leading smartphone, Verizon Wireless appears to have thrown down the gauntlet.
Its Web and TV ad lists the iPhone's most notorious flaws, such as the lack of a physical keyboard, the inability to run several applications simultaneously and a camera that can't take shots at night, and then ends with the tag line: "Everything iDon't, Droid Does."
Verizon has not said anything about the phone outside of its ads, but some say the new device, which has the backing of Verizon Wireless, cell phone maker Motorola and tech giant Google, could shape up to be the iPhone's biggest threat yet.
The popular blog TechCrunch called it "the first phone that will pose a significant threat to Apple's iPhone" and the tech blog VentureBeat went even further, saying "it will likely have the glitz and power to bury the iPhone." --ABC NEWS Technology & Science
By KI MAE HEUSSNEROct. 21, 2009
In an aggressive new ad campaign teasing a mystery phone with the potential to slay Apple's leading smartphone, Verizon Wireless appears to have thrown down the gauntlet.
Its Web and TV ad lists the iPhone's most notorious flaws, such as the lack of a physical keyboard, the inability to run several applications simultaneously and a camera that can't take shots at night, and then ends with the tag line: "Everything iDon't, Droid Does."
Verizon has not said anything about the phone outside of its ads, but some say the new device, which has the backing of Verizon Wireless, cell phone maker Motorola and tech giant Google, could shape up to be the iPhone's biggest threat yet.
The popular blog TechCrunch called it "the first phone that will pose a significant threat to Apple's iPhone" and the tech blog VentureBeat went even further, saying "it will likely have the glitz and power to bury the iPhone." --ABC NEWS Technology & Science
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Pepsi apologizes for girl-getting iPhone app
(AFP) – 1 hour ago
SAN FRANCISCO — US soft drink giant PepsiCo has apologized for a free iPhone application crafted to help men seduce women and keep records of conquests but the program remained available on Tuesday.
Pepsi's "AMP Up Before You Score" iPhone application categorizes women into 24 types and then uses the Apple smartphone's Internet capabilities to link users to information about them and what they like.
AMP is an energy drink made by PepsiCo.
"Let's say you meet a girl who is way into being green and you need a vegan restaurant stat; we've got you covered," a voice-over maintained on Tuesday in an online Pepsi video about the AMP at YouTube.
"If you are anticipating a successful night, the Before You Score app gives you up to the minute information, feeds, lines and much more to help you amp up and talk to 24 different types of ladies."
Types of women listed in the application include punk rocker, bookworm, aspiring actress, artist, and sorority girl.
A "Keep a List" feature in the program reportedly prompts users to add women's names and encounter details to a "brag list" if they "get lucky."
People offended by the application shared their ire with PepsiCo, which fired off an apology on popular microblogging service Twitter.
"Our app tried 2 show the humorous lengths guys go2 get women," the message read in shorthand typical of 'tweets" which are capped at 140 characters.
"We apologize if it's in bad taste and appreciate ur feedback."
The AMP app remained available at the App Store, according to a check Tuesday by AFP.
Online commentary ranged from amused to outrage.
"It's just Pepsi trying to lighten things up in the world," a person maintained in a chat forum accompanying the AMP video at YouTube.
"Whether this is a joke or not... this is not cool," countered another member of the online exchange.
-http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com
SAN FRANCISCO — US soft drink giant PepsiCo has apologized for a free iPhone application crafted to help men seduce women and keep records of conquests but the program remained available on Tuesday.
Pepsi's "AMP Up Before You Score" iPhone application categorizes women into 24 types and then uses the Apple smartphone's Internet capabilities to link users to information about them and what they like.
AMP is an energy drink made by PepsiCo.
"Let's say you meet a girl who is way into being green and you need a vegan restaurant stat; we've got you covered," a voice-over maintained on Tuesday in an online Pepsi video about the AMP at YouTube.
"If you are anticipating a successful night, the Before You Score app gives you up to the minute information, feeds, lines and much more to help you amp up and talk to 24 different types of ladies."
Types of women listed in the application include punk rocker, bookworm, aspiring actress, artist, and sorority girl.
A "Keep a List" feature in the program reportedly prompts users to add women's names and encounter details to a "brag list" if they "get lucky."
People offended by the application shared their ire with PepsiCo, which fired off an apology on popular microblogging service Twitter.
"Our app tried 2 show the humorous lengths guys go2 get women," the message read in shorthand typical of 'tweets" which are capped at 140 characters.
"We apologize if it's in bad taste and appreciate ur feedback."
The AMP app remained available at the App Store, according to a check Tuesday by AFP.
Online commentary ranged from amused to outrage.
"It's just Pepsi trying to lighten things up in the world," a person maintained in a chat forum accompanying the AMP video at YouTube.
"Whether this is a joke or not... this is not cool," countered another member of the online exchange.
-http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com
Friday, October 09, 2009
Twitter in Google, Microsoft licensing talks: report
Thu Oct 8, 2009 3:33pm EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Microblogging service Twitter is in advanced talks with Google Inc (GOOG.O) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) about licensing its data feed to the companies' search engines, a Web blog associated with the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
Twitter's discussions with Microsoft and Google are being conducted separately and would allow each company to incorporate the 140-character messages, or "tweets," that Twitter is known for into their Internet search results.
The ability to cull through the flood of tweets as they are posted, known as real time search, is gaining popularity as an important new way to search the Internet for up-to-the-minute information on the latest news events and happenings.
The AllThingsDigital blog quoted unidentified sources as saying the companies are discussing several types of deals. Details could include Twitter receiving a payment of several million dollars and various types of revenue-sharing agreements to allow Twitter to benefit from the ad revenue that Microsoft and Google generate from search results.
Twitter has emerged as one of the fastest-growing Internet social media services. But the company has yet to generate any significant revenue from its free service. Twitter has cited advertising and premium features as two potential money-making plans.
Last month, Twitter received $100 million in new funding from investors including T.Rowe Price and Insight Venture Partners, based on a $1 billion valuation for Twitter, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Representatives from Twitter were not immediately available for comment. Google and Microsoft declined to comment.
(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Microblogging service Twitter is in advanced talks with Google Inc (GOOG.O) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) about licensing its data feed to the companies' search engines, a Web blog associated with the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
Twitter's discussions with Microsoft and Google are being conducted separately and would allow each company to incorporate the 140-character messages, or "tweets," that Twitter is known for into their Internet search results.
The ability to cull through the flood of tweets as they are posted, known as real time search, is gaining popularity as an important new way to search the Internet for up-to-the-minute information on the latest news events and happenings.
The AllThingsDigital blog quoted unidentified sources as saying the companies are discussing several types of deals. Details could include Twitter receiving a payment of several million dollars and various types of revenue-sharing agreements to allow Twitter to benefit from the ad revenue that Microsoft and Google generate from search results.
Twitter has emerged as one of the fastest-growing Internet social media services. But the company has yet to generate any significant revenue from its free service. Twitter has cited advertising and premium features as two potential money-making plans.
Last month, Twitter received $100 million in new funding from investors including T.Rowe Price and Insight Venture Partners, based on a $1 billion valuation for Twitter, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Representatives from Twitter were not immediately available for comment. Google and Microsoft declined to comment.
(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
Friday, September 25, 2009
Postponement for the Google books settlement
September 25, 2009 11:18 am
Today a New York judge postponed a scheduled hearing in the Google books settlement because of pending changes to the agreement. Our tech blog reports:
In response to concerns raised by federal antitrust regulators, the Authors Guild and the Assn. of American Publishers are likely to make "significant changes to the current settlement agreement," wrote Judge Denny Chin. Holding a hearing on the agreement as currently written, he concluded, would make little sense.
Earlier this week, the publisher and author groups requested a delay in the proceedings so they could address copyright and antitrust issues raised by the Department of Justice in a brief filed last week.
The Google books settlement would create a rights registry for books, much like ASCAP for songs. The registry would administer payments for usage -- downloading and printing -- to the authors of books that are out of print. That Google would keep the fees for those books that have no clear owner -- "orphan works" -- is one of the contested issues of the proposed agreement.
There are other, less book-focused concerns. The Justice Department is investigating possible antitrust issues And industry rivals Yahoo and Microsoft have banded together, organizing some more vested players like the New York Library Assn., to oppose the proposed settlement.
We'll be listening for news on Oct. 7, when the court has said it will discuss how to proceed with the case.
-- Carolyn Kellogg-----From Los Angeles Times -BOOKS
Today a New York judge postponed a scheduled hearing in the Google books settlement because of pending changes to the agreement. Our tech blog reports:
In response to concerns raised by federal antitrust regulators, the Authors Guild and the Assn. of American Publishers are likely to make "significant changes to the current settlement agreement," wrote Judge Denny Chin. Holding a hearing on the agreement as currently written, he concluded, would make little sense.
Earlier this week, the publisher and author groups requested a delay in the proceedings so they could address copyright and antitrust issues raised by the Department of Justice in a brief filed last week.
The Google books settlement would create a rights registry for books, much like ASCAP for songs. The registry would administer payments for usage -- downloading and printing -- to the authors of books that are out of print. That Google would keep the fees for those books that have no clear owner -- "orphan works" -- is one of the contested issues of the proposed agreement.
There are other, less book-focused concerns. The Justice Department is investigating possible antitrust issues And industry rivals Yahoo and Microsoft have banded together, organizing some more vested players like the New York Library Assn., to oppose the proposed settlement.
We'll be listening for news on Oct. 7, when the court has said it will discuss how to proceed with the case.
-- Carolyn Kellogg-----From Los Angeles Times -BOOKS
Monday, September 21, 2009
FCC Chairman Calls for Formal Net Neutrality Rules
Grant Gross, IDG News Service
Monday, September 21, 2009 7:30 AM PDT
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will move to create formal net neutrality rules prohibiting Internet providers from selectively blocking or slowing Web content and applications, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Monday.
Genachowski announced a notice of proposed rulemaking, a process to formalize a set of broadband policy principles that the FCC has embraced since August 2005. In addition to the four policy principles. Genachowski called for two additional principles to be included in a formal set of net neutrality rules.
"The Internet is an extraordinary platform for innovation, job creation, investment, and opportunity," Genachowski said in a speech before the Brookings Institution. "It has unleashed the potential of entrepreneurs and enabled the launch and growth of small businesses across America. It is vital that we safeguard the free and open Internet."
The notice of proposed rulemaking will look not only into net neutrality rules on traditional wired broadband networks, but also explore whether to impose new rules on broadband networks offered by mobile phone carriers, the FCC said. Genachowski said he wants all six principles to apply to all platforms that access the Internet.
Mobile broadband services offered by carriers such as Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile have not been subject to the FCC's net neutrality principles.
The FCC has enforced the existing broadband policy principles on a case-by-case basis, but it has never made formal net neutrality rules. Broadband provider Comcast filed a lawsuit challenging the FCC's authority to enforce the principles after the agency ruled last August that Comcast had to stop slowing peer-to-peer traffic in the name of network management.
The Comcast lawsuit was filed late last year, and a ruling is pending. Comcast argued that the FCC needs to create a rule or get authority from the U.S. Congress to enforce net neutrality. In addition to Genachowski's new rulemaking, a bill pending in the U.S. Congress would give the FCC that authority.
Several broadband providers have opposed formal net neutrality rules, saying they could hamper provider efforts to roll out new services and manage their networks, and to protect against attacks and bandwidth hogs.
But Genachowski said there have been examples in recent years of broadband providers blocking or slowing applications, including peer-to-peer software and VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) service. There has been one example of a broadband provider blocking political content, he noted.
"Notwithstanding its unparalleled record of success, today the free and open Internet faces emerging and substantial challenges," he said. "The rise of serious challenges to the free and open Internet puts us at a crossroads. We could see the Internet's doors shut to entrepreneurs, the spirit of innovation stifled, a full and free flow of information compromised. Or we could take steps to preserve Internet openness, helping ensure a future of opportunity, innovation, and a vibrant marketplace of ideas."
A Comcast spokeswoman said the company would comment soon. Representatives of AT&T, Verizon Wireless and CTIA, a trade group representing mobile carriers, weren't immediately available for comment.
There are four existing broadband principles that would be formalized:
-- Consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice.
-- Consumers are entitled to run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement.
-- Consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network.
-- Consumers are entitled to competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.
In addition, Genachowski proposed two new principles. The first would prevent Internet access providers from discriminating against particular Internet content or applications, while allowing for reasonable network management. The second principle would ensure that Internet access providers are transparent about the network management practices they implement.
Genachowski will seek to launch a notice of proposed rulemaking during the FCC's October meeting. The notice will ask the public and interested companies for feedback on the proposed rules and their application, such as how to determine whether network management practices are reasonable, what information broadband providers should disclose about their network management practices and how the rules apply to differing platforms, including mobile Internet access services, the FCC said.
From PC WORLD
-http://harlemblogosphere.blogspot.com
Monday, September 21, 2009 7:30 AM PDT
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will move to create formal net neutrality rules prohibiting Internet providers from selectively blocking or slowing Web content and applications, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Monday.
Genachowski announced a notice of proposed rulemaking, a process to formalize a set of broadband policy principles that the FCC has embraced since August 2005. In addition to the four policy principles. Genachowski called for two additional principles to be included in a formal set of net neutrality rules.
"The Internet is an extraordinary platform for innovation, job creation, investment, and opportunity," Genachowski said in a speech before the Brookings Institution. "It has unleashed the potential of entrepreneurs and enabled the launch and growth of small businesses across America. It is vital that we safeguard the free and open Internet."
The notice of proposed rulemaking will look not only into net neutrality rules on traditional wired broadband networks, but also explore whether to impose new rules on broadband networks offered by mobile phone carriers, the FCC said. Genachowski said he wants all six principles to apply to all platforms that access the Internet.
Mobile broadband services offered by carriers such as Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile have not been subject to the FCC's net neutrality principles.
The FCC has enforced the existing broadband policy principles on a case-by-case basis, but it has never made formal net neutrality rules. Broadband provider Comcast filed a lawsuit challenging the FCC's authority to enforce the principles after the agency ruled last August that Comcast had to stop slowing peer-to-peer traffic in the name of network management.
The Comcast lawsuit was filed late last year, and a ruling is pending. Comcast argued that the FCC needs to create a rule or get authority from the U.S. Congress to enforce net neutrality. In addition to Genachowski's new rulemaking, a bill pending in the U.S. Congress would give the FCC that authority.
Several broadband providers have opposed formal net neutrality rules, saying they could hamper provider efforts to roll out new services and manage their networks, and to protect against attacks and bandwidth hogs.
But Genachowski said there have been examples in recent years of broadband providers blocking or slowing applications, including peer-to-peer software and VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) service. There has been one example of a broadband provider blocking political content, he noted.
"Notwithstanding its unparalleled record of success, today the free and open Internet faces emerging and substantial challenges," he said. "The rise of serious challenges to the free and open Internet puts us at a crossroads. We could see the Internet's doors shut to entrepreneurs, the spirit of innovation stifled, a full and free flow of information compromised. Or we could take steps to preserve Internet openness, helping ensure a future of opportunity, innovation, and a vibrant marketplace of ideas."
A Comcast spokeswoman said the company would comment soon. Representatives of AT&T, Verizon Wireless and CTIA, a trade group representing mobile carriers, weren't immediately available for comment.
There are four existing broadband principles that would be formalized:
-- Consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice.
-- Consumers are entitled to run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement.
-- Consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network.
-- Consumers are entitled to competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.
In addition, Genachowski proposed two new principles. The first would prevent Internet access providers from discriminating against particular Internet content or applications, while allowing for reasonable network management. The second principle would ensure that Internet access providers are transparent about the network management practices they implement.
Genachowski will seek to launch a notice of proposed rulemaking during the FCC's October meeting. The notice will ask the public and interested companies for feedback on the proposed rules and their application, such as how to determine whether network management practices are reasonable, what information broadband providers should disclose about their network management practices and how the rules apply to differing platforms, including mobile Internet access services, the FCC said.
From PC WORLD
-http://harlemblogosphere.blogspot.com
Friday, September 18, 2009
Robotic arm fetches Japanese cargo ship at space station
Unmanned H-II spacecraft delivers supplies for station's Japanese laboratory
By Sharon Gaudin September 18, 2009 01:47 PM ET
Computerworld - An unmanned Japanese cargo spacecraft yesterday was plucked out of space by a robotic arm and attached to the International Space Station.
The cargo spacecraft, dubbed the H-II Transfer Vehicle, was launched a week ago on its maiden voyage from the from the Tanegashima, Japan, Space Center. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency spacecraft carried about five tons of supplies for the Japanese Kibo laboratory at the station.
The H-II arrived at the space station late Thursday afternoon, and Flight Engineers Nicole Stott, Robert Thirsk and Frank De Winne, part of the space station crew, teamed up to use the station's robotic arm to grab the craft as it hovered 30-feet from the station. The Canadarm 2 robotic arm pulled the cargo ship in and attached it to the station.
The cargo, which is being transferred onto the space station, includes several pieces of equipment for that will be used in experiments, such as the study of gases in the Earth's ozone layer.
The H-II Transfer Vehicle, which was designed and built in Japan, is about 30 feet long and about 14 feet in diameter.
The Canadarm 2 technology has been heavily used by astronauts on the station in recent months.
For example, the crew of the space shuttle Discovery used the robotic arm earlier this month to move replacement parts and supplies from the shuttle's cargo bay to the space station. They also used the arm to help them remove a spent ammonia tank from the outside of the space station and replace it with a new one.
And in July, three different robots, including Canadarm 2, were used to help the crew of the space shuttle Endeavour install the final pieces of a Japanese laboratory to the station. For the nearly 11 days Endeavour was docked with the space station, at least one, if not two, robots were at work almost every day.
--http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com
By Sharon Gaudin September 18, 2009 01:47 PM ET
Computerworld - An unmanned Japanese cargo spacecraft yesterday was plucked out of space by a robotic arm and attached to the International Space Station.
The cargo spacecraft, dubbed the H-II Transfer Vehicle, was launched a week ago on its maiden voyage from the from the Tanegashima, Japan, Space Center. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency spacecraft carried about five tons of supplies for the Japanese Kibo laboratory at the station.
The H-II arrived at the space station late Thursday afternoon, and Flight Engineers Nicole Stott, Robert Thirsk and Frank De Winne, part of the space station crew, teamed up to use the station's robotic arm to grab the craft as it hovered 30-feet from the station. The Canadarm 2 robotic arm pulled the cargo ship in and attached it to the station.
The cargo, which is being transferred onto the space station, includes several pieces of equipment for that will be used in experiments, such as the study of gases in the Earth's ozone layer.
The H-II Transfer Vehicle, which was designed and built in Japan, is about 30 feet long and about 14 feet in diameter.
The Canadarm 2 technology has been heavily used by astronauts on the station in recent months.
For example, the crew of the space shuttle Discovery used the robotic arm earlier this month to move replacement parts and supplies from the shuttle's cargo bay to the space station. They also used the arm to help them remove a spent ammonia tank from the outside of the space station and replace it with a new one.
And in July, three different robots, including Canadarm 2, were used to help the crew of the space shuttle Endeavour install the final pieces of a Japanese laboratory to the station. For the nearly 11 days Endeavour was docked with the space station, at least one, if not two, robots were at work almost every day.
--http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Keeping Google out of libraries
The proposed settlement between Google and US publishers must be resisted, argues Bill Thompson.- BBC NEWS TECHNO
Wednesday, 2 September 2009 10:50 UK
Google is in the middle of a massive project to scan and digitise every book it can get its hands on, whether old or new, and if it gets its way then the US courts will soon endorse an agreement between the search engine giant and the US book industry that will allow it to do this without fear of prosecution for copyright infringement.
Authors and publishers will get some money in return, and we will all benefit from the improved access to digitised books that Google will provide.
The deal sounds like a good one, but not everyone is happy with it. The Department of Justice in the US has begun an investigation to see if it is anti-competitive, and last month a number of library associations got together with Amazon, Yahoo! and Microsoft to form the Open Book Alliance which argues that it should not go forward.
The details of the settlement are complex, and it is almost impossible to be sure what would emerge from it because many of the provisions involve setting up things like a Book Rights Registry, and we don't yet know what they will look like.
World's librarian
But whatever the detail there remains a fundamental problem. It is not that the settlement will give Google indemnity from prosecution should it be found to have scanned books that are in copyright without the copyright owner's position, nor even that it gives Google freedom to exploit scanned content commercially.
It is, rather, that the settlement gives only Google these privileges, and places one company in a prime position to become the world's de facto librarian instead of encouraging open access, open standards and a plurality of services and service providers.
Neither Google nor any other company should be entrusted with that responsibility, and nothing in the detail of the agreement or the funds that will be made available to authors as a consequence can change this.
If Google is given a monopoly, either explicitly in the settlement or implicitly because any other scanning project would be forced to negotiate its own multi-million dollar agreement, then the deal must be rejected.
If we let Google have its settlement we will all be the poorer
Bill Thompson
The proposed settlement came about after Google began a project to scan and index millions of books, including many that are still in copyright.
It was sued by groups representing authors and publishers who felt that scanning books, even if the text was only used to create a searchable index which then pointed readers to the relevant text, was an unlicensed use and therefore illegal.
The book trade was also worried that Google might scan the books under the pretext of creating an index and then start offering them online or even selling them, even though it was always absolutely clear that such behaviour would be a breach of copyright.
Instead of fighting the case through the US courts and winning a great victory for those of us who believe that three hundred year-old notions of copyright should not be used arbitrarily to limit new ways of making use of creative works, Google announced in October 2008 that it had reached a settlement with the US Authors' Guild and the Association of American Publishers that would allow it to continue scanning with permission.
At the moment the settlement hangs in the balance, waiting for what is quaintly termed a 'fairness hearing' in US District Court on October 7.
At this hearing of the questions raised since the settlement was announced will be debated, including the question of how the relatively small Authors Guild came to speak for all published writers in the US, living and dead, in negotiating with Google.
One of the arguments being made in favour of Google, most clearly by US industry analyst Jeffrey Lindsay, is that Google deserves to benefit from having taken the risk of digitising books when the project's legal status was uncertain and that Google, unlike Microsoft and Yahoo!, has invested millions of dollars in the project and is committed to pushing forward.
Microsoft did indeed abandon its own book scanning project, Live Search Books, in 2008, largely on cost grounds but also because the legal uncertainties clearly exposed the company to potential liability in what was never a core area of its activity.
Tribal lands
But Lindsay's view seems hard to accept. Pretending that the world's libraries are some unexplored continent to be opened up and claimed by the adventurers from Mountain View may appeal to the frontier mentality of US commentators, but it is not a metaphor likely to have much appeal elsewhere.
For one thing the bookshelves of the worlds are already inhabited, just like the territory of the United States, and those of us who remember the fate of the Native Americans may not be happy to see Google build its railroad tracks over our tribal lands.
Even without the dodgy analogy, the project of digitising the information held in the world's printed books is too important to be dealt with purely as a commercial venture between rights holders and a potential supplier of services.
We are at an inflection point in world history, and the transition we are making from analogue to digital is happening so quickly and offers so many delights that there is a temptation to let the past moulder in archive boxes and concentrate solely on the new and digital.
For those who take that view then letting Google pay to digitise books is an uncontroversial decision, one that can deliver more digital stuff to search through without apparently costing anything.
George Santayana wrote 'those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it', but it may also be true that those who do not care to digitise their own past will end up paying a high price to regain what they give up so thoughtlessly.
If we let Google have its settlement we will all be the poorer. Not for a while, perhaps, but one day we will need more from this new library of Alexandria than Google is willing to offer, and find that the price it demands is more than we can pay.
Bill Thompson is an independent journalist and regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Digital Planet
-http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com
Wednesday, 2 September 2009 10:50 UK
Google is in the middle of a massive project to scan and digitise every book it can get its hands on, whether old or new, and if it gets its way then the US courts will soon endorse an agreement between the search engine giant and the US book industry that will allow it to do this without fear of prosecution for copyright infringement.
Authors and publishers will get some money in return, and we will all benefit from the improved access to digitised books that Google will provide.
The deal sounds like a good one, but not everyone is happy with it. The Department of Justice in the US has begun an investigation to see if it is anti-competitive, and last month a number of library associations got together with Amazon, Yahoo! and Microsoft to form the Open Book Alliance which argues that it should not go forward.
The details of the settlement are complex, and it is almost impossible to be sure what would emerge from it because many of the provisions involve setting up things like a Book Rights Registry, and we don't yet know what they will look like.
World's librarian
But whatever the detail there remains a fundamental problem. It is not that the settlement will give Google indemnity from prosecution should it be found to have scanned books that are in copyright without the copyright owner's position, nor even that it gives Google freedom to exploit scanned content commercially.
It is, rather, that the settlement gives only Google these privileges, and places one company in a prime position to become the world's de facto librarian instead of encouraging open access, open standards and a plurality of services and service providers.
Neither Google nor any other company should be entrusted with that responsibility, and nothing in the detail of the agreement or the funds that will be made available to authors as a consequence can change this.
If Google is given a monopoly, either explicitly in the settlement or implicitly because any other scanning project would be forced to negotiate its own multi-million dollar agreement, then the deal must be rejected.
If we let Google have its settlement we will all be the poorer
Bill Thompson
The proposed settlement came about after Google began a project to scan and index millions of books, including many that are still in copyright.
It was sued by groups representing authors and publishers who felt that scanning books, even if the text was only used to create a searchable index which then pointed readers to the relevant text, was an unlicensed use and therefore illegal.
The book trade was also worried that Google might scan the books under the pretext of creating an index and then start offering them online or even selling them, even though it was always absolutely clear that such behaviour would be a breach of copyright.
Instead of fighting the case through the US courts and winning a great victory for those of us who believe that three hundred year-old notions of copyright should not be used arbitrarily to limit new ways of making use of creative works, Google announced in October 2008 that it had reached a settlement with the US Authors' Guild and the Association of American Publishers that would allow it to continue scanning with permission.
At the moment the settlement hangs in the balance, waiting for what is quaintly termed a 'fairness hearing' in US District Court on October 7.
At this hearing of the questions raised since the settlement was announced will be debated, including the question of how the relatively small Authors Guild came to speak for all published writers in the US, living and dead, in negotiating with Google.
One of the arguments being made in favour of Google, most clearly by US industry analyst Jeffrey Lindsay, is that Google deserves to benefit from having taken the risk of digitising books when the project's legal status was uncertain and that Google, unlike Microsoft and Yahoo!, has invested millions of dollars in the project and is committed to pushing forward.
Microsoft did indeed abandon its own book scanning project, Live Search Books, in 2008, largely on cost grounds but also because the legal uncertainties clearly exposed the company to potential liability in what was never a core area of its activity.
Tribal lands
But Lindsay's view seems hard to accept. Pretending that the world's libraries are some unexplored continent to be opened up and claimed by the adventurers from Mountain View may appeal to the frontier mentality of US commentators, but it is not a metaphor likely to have much appeal elsewhere.
For one thing the bookshelves of the worlds are already inhabited, just like the territory of the United States, and those of us who remember the fate of the Native Americans may not be happy to see Google build its railroad tracks over our tribal lands.
Even without the dodgy analogy, the project of digitising the information held in the world's printed books is too important to be dealt with purely as a commercial venture between rights holders and a potential supplier of services.
We are at an inflection point in world history, and the transition we are making from analogue to digital is happening so quickly and offers so many delights that there is a temptation to let the past moulder in archive boxes and concentrate solely on the new and digital.
For those who take that view then letting Google pay to digitise books is an uncontroversial decision, one that can deliver more digital stuff to search through without apparently costing anything.
George Santayana wrote 'those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it', but it may also be true that those who do not care to digitise their own past will end up paying a high price to regain what they give up so thoughtlessly.
If we let Google have its settlement we will all be the poorer. Not for a while, perhaps, but one day we will need more from this new library of Alexandria than Google is willing to offer, and find that the price it demands is more than we can pay.
Bill Thompson is an independent journalist and regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Digital Planet
-http://davidsradiotv2000.blogspot.com
Saturday, August 22, 2009
What Is Broadband? FCC Wants To Know
The federal agency wants to develop accurate and uniform definitions for broadband to help in its development of a national broadband plan
By W. David Gardner
August 21, 2009 03:31 PM
The FCC has launched a campaign to define exactly what constitutes "broadband" and providers of the high speed service may not like how it is defined and how the FCC views their delivery of broadband.
In a notice Thursday, the FCC said it is seeking "tailored comment" on broadband in connection with developing a National Broadband Plan as it relates to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
"...Advertised throughput rates generally differ from actual rates, are not uniformly measured, and have different constraints over different technologies," the FCC noted in its posting and added that "it is unclear what the end points of the connection are over which throughput is measured or whether the performance of the end point is reflected in the stated throughput."
The FCC wants to develop accurate and uniform definitions for broadband to help in its development of a national broadband plan it expects to submit to Congress in February. The National Broadband Plan Notice of Inquiry has observed that "broadband can be defined in myriad ways."
U.S. broadband rankings have been slipping in recent years to the point that the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development found the U.S. was in the 19th place in the worldwide rankings with a 9.6 mbps advertised rate. Japan led the 2008 rankings with 92.8 mbps and Korean was second with 80.8 mbps.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has made the upgrade and spread of more robust broadband an important goal of his chairmanship.
From Information week
By W. David Gardner
August 21, 2009 03:31 PM
The FCC has launched a campaign to define exactly what constitutes "broadband" and providers of the high speed service may not like how it is defined and how the FCC views their delivery of broadband.
In a notice Thursday, the FCC said it is seeking "tailored comment" on broadband in connection with developing a National Broadband Plan as it relates to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
"...Advertised throughput rates generally differ from actual rates, are not uniformly measured, and have different constraints over different technologies," the FCC noted in its posting and added that "it is unclear what the end points of the connection are over which throughput is measured or whether the performance of the end point is reflected in the stated throughput."
The FCC wants to develop accurate and uniform definitions for broadband to help in its development of a national broadband plan it expects to submit to Congress in February. The National Broadband Plan Notice of Inquiry has observed that "broadband can be defined in myriad ways."
U.S. broadband rankings have been slipping in recent years to the point that the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development found the U.S. was in the 19th place in the worldwide rankings with a 9.6 mbps advertised rate. Japan led the 2008 rankings with 92.8 mbps and Korean was second with 80.8 mbps.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has made the upgrade and spread of more robust broadband an important goal of his chairmanship.
From Information week
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Google Steals Spotlight With Caffeine Boost
Tony Bradley, PC World Tuesday, August 11, 2009 1:35 PM PDT
Google announced this week a project it has been working on to develop a faster, more accurate, and more comprehensive search engine. The announcement of the project, code-named ‘Caffeine' (a clever play on words implying that the project will boost speed), seems a little out of character for Google which usually makes these sort of search engine tweaks under the radar. One thing that the announcement of Caffeine accomplished though is to divert attention away from Microsoft's Bing search engine and the Microsoft/Yahoo partnership news and put Google search back in the headlines.
I don't believe Google is feeling all that threatened by Microsoft's Bing, or even by the search/advertising coalition formed by the partnership between Microsoft and Yahoo. I think perhaps it should be, but I think that the hoopla around Caffeine has more to do with ego than paranoia. I think Google was tired of seeing headlines about Bing and Microsoft and Yahoo.
I also don't believe that Google launched the Caffeine project in response to Bing. A Google engineer, Matt Cutts, posted on his blog that Caffeine is simply part of the normal process of improvement that Google goes through on a regular basis. He clearly states that Caffeine is not a response to Bing and says "I think the best way for Google to do well in search is to continue what we've done for the last decade or so: focus relentlessly on pushing our search quality forward. Nobody cares more about search than Google, and I don't think we'll ever stop trying to improve."
Assuming that is true, it again illustrates that the public hoopla around Caffeine is more about getting attention than it is about rolling out any revolutionary change in the Google search engine. Matt claims in his blog that this is all just standard operating procedure at Google and the kind of thing that goes on all the time without generating any headlines.
That said, maybe Google is a little more concerned with Bing and the Microsoft/Yahoo partnership than they let on. Bing has garnered accolades and has been supported by one of Microsoft's more successful marketing campaigns. Experts and users alike concede that Microsoft seems to have gotten things right with Bing, and Bing has been slowly chipping away at web search engine market share. With Yahoo basically surrendering its share of the search engine pie to Microsoft, Bing could jump to 30% or even 40% market share. Google would still be in the lead, but Bing poses a reasonable threat to Google's established dominance.
Google is also spreading itself thin, taking on dominant players in multiple markets simultaneously. Google is now arch-rivals with its previous BFF Apple, and mortal enemies with Microsoft in almost every market the two operate in. The last thing Google needs is to have to defend its home turf of web search at the same time. Only time will tell how these battles will play out, but at least for now Google won the news spotlight back with Caffeine.
Google announced this week a project it has been working on to develop a faster, more accurate, and more comprehensive search engine. The announcement of the project, code-named ‘Caffeine' (a clever play on words implying that the project will boost speed), seems a little out of character for Google which usually makes these sort of search engine tweaks under the radar. One thing that the announcement of Caffeine accomplished though is to divert attention away from Microsoft's Bing search engine and the Microsoft/Yahoo partnership news and put Google search back in the headlines.
I don't believe Google is feeling all that threatened by Microsoft's Bing, or even by the search/advertising coalition formed by the partnership between Microsoft and Yahoo. I think perhaps it should be, but I think that the hoopla around Caffeine has more to do with ego than paranoia. I think Google was tired of seeing headlines about Bing and Microsoft and Yahoo.
I also don't believe that Google launched the Caffeine project in response to Bing. A Google engineer, Matt Cutts, posted on his blog that Caffeine is simply part of the normal process of improvement that Google goes through on a regular basis. He clearly states that Caffeine is not a response to Bing and says "I think the best way for Google to do well in search is to continue what we've done for the last decade or so: focus relentlessly on pushing our search quality forward. Nobody cares more about search than Google, and I don't think we'll ever stop trying to improve."
Assuming that is true, it again illustrates that the public hoopla around Caffeine is more about getting attention than it is about rolling out any revolutionary change in the Google search engine. Matt claims in his blog that this is all just standard operating procedure at Google and the kind of thing that goes on all the time without generating any headlines.
That said, maybe Google is a little more concerned with Bing and the Microsoft/Yahoo partnership than they let on. Bing has garnered accolades and has been supported by one of Microsoft's more successful marketing campaigns. Experts and users alike concede that Microsoft seems to have gotten things right with Bing, and Bing has been slowly chipping away at web search engine market share. With Yahoo basically surrendering its share of the search engine pie to Microsoft, Bing could jump to 30% or even 40% market share. Google would still be in the lead, but Bing poses a reasonable threat to Google's established dominance.
Google is also spreading itself thin, taking on dominant players in multiple markets simultaneously. Google is now arch-rivals with its previous BFF Apple, and mortal enemies with Microsoft in almost every market the two operate in. The last thing Google needs is to have to defend its home turf of web search at the same time. Only time will tell how these battles will play out, but at least for now Google won the news spotlight back with Caffeine.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Twitter Continues to Battle DDoS Attack
Tony Bradley, PC World Saturday, August 08, 2009 2:39 PM PDT
More than two days after experiencing a complete outage as a result of a distribute denial-0f-service (DDoS) attack, Twitter and other social networking sites such as Facebook are still battling a surge in traffic related to the attack. Twitter has taken some steps to mitigate the spike in traffic and ensure that the site is not knocked offline again, but some of those steps are having an impact on third-party tools that link to Twitter through API's (application programming interface).
Evidence gathered thus far from Twitter and other sites targeted by the DDoS attacks seems to suggest that the attack is actually a politically motivated attack aimed at silencing a Georgian activist. The victim, known by the online handle Cyxymu, uses blogs and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to express views related to the tensions between Russia and Georgia. In a blog post, Mikko Hypponen, Chief Research Officer of Internet security firm F-Secure, said "Launching DDoS attacks against services like Facebook is the equivalent of bombing a TV station because you don't like one of the newscasters.
To defend itself against the ongoing DDoS attack, Twitter has implemented various defensive actions, some of which are blocking third-party Twitter applications from being able to connect with Twitter API's. The mitigating steps are also affecting the ability of many users to post to their Twitter accounts via SMS (short message service) text messages.
Twitter is working diligently for a more permanent solution that doesn't impact third-party applications or SMS messaging. In the meantime though, Twitter has stated that as long as the attacks continue they can't guarantee that things will get better or provide any assurances that they won't get worse. The best they can do is to promise to do everything they can as fast as they can to ensure the site remains available.
Other steps that can be taken involve identifying and isolating sources of attack traffic and simply dropping all incoming packets from those sources. That can have some affect, but when an attack leverages a botnet and the attack traffic is literally coming from hundreds of thousands of sources simultaneously it quickly becomes cumbersome and impractical to try and filter the traffic in this way. Another temporary solution could be to filter all traffic intended for the suspected victim, Cyxymu, and block that so that it does not hog the network bandwidth or server processing horsepower.
When the dust settles, Twitter should look at ways they can build scalability and redundancy into their network to better withstand similar attacks in the future. Stuart McClure, VP of Operations and Strategy for McAfee's Risk and Compliance Unit and co-author of Hacking Exposed 6, says "Many of these newly emerging social engineering sites weren't built with security or high performance scalability in mind. They need to look at their current and desired states and make tough decisions that migrate them from homegrown applications to highly available cornerstones of commerce."
Tony Bradley is an information security and unified communications expert with more than a decade of enterprise IT experience.
More than two days after experiencing a complete outage as a result of a distribute denial-0f-service (DDoS) attack, Twitter and other social networking sites such as Facebook are still battling a surge in traffic related to the attack. Twitter has taken some steps to mitigate the spike in traffic and ensure that the site is not knocked offline again, but some of those steps are having an impact on third-party tools that link to Twitter through API's (application programming interface).
Evidence gathered thus far from Twitter and other sites targeted by the DDoS attacks seems to suggest that the attack is actually a politically motivated attack aimed at silencing a Georgian activist. The victim, known by the online handle Cyxymu, uses blogs and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to express views related to the tensions between Russia and Georgia. In a blog post, Mikko Hypponen, Chief Research Officer of Internet security firm F-Secure, said "Launching DDoS attacks against services like Facebook is the equivalent of bombing a TV station because you don't like one of the newscasters.
To defend itself against the ongoing DDoS attack, Twitter has implemented various defensive actions, some of which are blocking third-party Twitter applications from being able to connect with Twitter API's. The mitigating steps are also affecting the ability of many users to post to their Twitter accounts via SMS (short message service) text messages.
Twitter is working diligently for a more permanent solution that doesn't impact third-party applications or SMS messaging. In the meantime though, Twitter has stated that as long as the attacks continue they can't guarantee that things will get better or provide any assurances that they won't get worse. The best they can do is to promise to do everything they can as fast as they can to ensure the site remains available.
Other steps that can be taken involve identifying and isolating sources of attack traffic and simply dropping all incoming packets from those sources. That can have some affect, but when an attack leverages a botnet and the attack traffic is literally coming from hundreds of thousands of sources simultaneously it quickly becomes cumbersome and impractical to try and filter the traffic in this way. Another temporary solution could be to filter all traffic intended for the suspected victim, Cyxymu, and block that so that it does not hog the network bandwidth or server processing horsepower.
When the dust settles, Twitter should look at ways they can build scalability and redundancy into their network to better withstand similar attacks in the future. Stuart McClure, VP of Operations and Strategy for McAfee's Risk and Compliance Unit and co-author of Hacking Exposed 6, says "Many of these newly emerging social engineering sites weren't built with security or high performance scalability in mind. They need to look at their current and desired states and make tough decisions that migrate them from homegrown applications to highly available cornerstones of commerce."
Tony Bradley is an information security and unified communications expert with more than a decade of enterprise IT experience.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Emergency alert provider sues Twitter over patents
Aug 5, 2009 5:07 pm
by Juan Carlos Perez IDG News Service
TechRadium, a provider of mass notification and emergency alert systems to school districts, municipal governments, the U.S. military and other organizations, has filed a lawsuit charging Twitter with patent infringement.
Twitter, the red-hot micro-blogging and social networking company, designed its system in a way that violates three TechRadium patents, an attorney for the plaintiff said.
“The problem is the Twitter architecture. The way they have it set up is technology that is squarely within TechRadium’s patents,” said Shawn Staples, an attorney with Mostyn Law, in a phone interview on Wednesday.
Consequently, organizations could use Twitter to do the type of mass notification that TechRadium provides via its IRIS (Immediate Response Information System) technology.
“There have been recently some municipalities and other organizations who have claimed they’ll use Twitter for emergency notification systems, and that’s technology that TechRadium has spent many years and a lot of money developing,” Staples said.
IRIS lets organizations broadcast a single message to multiple recipients who can receive it on a variety of devices like regular phones, cell phones and fax machines. It’s intended to quickly alert people about emergency situations.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, seeks among other things unspecified damages, recovery of attorneys’ fees and a permanent injunction against Twitter.
The patents Twitter is allegedly infringing are patent number 7,130,389, granted in October 2006 for a “digital notification and response system”; patent number 7,496,183, granted in February 2009 for a “method for providing digital notification”; and patent number 7,519,165, granted in April 2009 for a “method for providing digital notification and receiving responses.”
Twitter didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment
From Macworld Web Services.
by Juan Carlos Perez IDG News Service
TechRadium, a provider of mass notification and emergency alert systems to school districts, municipal governments, the U.S. military and other organizations, has filed a lawsuit charging Twitter with patent infringement.
Twitter, the red-hot micro-blogging and social networking company, designed its system in a way that violates three TechRadium patents, an attorney for the plaintiff said.
“The problem is the Twitter architecture. The way they have it set up is technology that is squarely within TechRadium’s patents,” said Shawn Staples, an attorney with Mostyn Law, in a phone interview on Wednesday.
Consequently, organizations could use Twitter to do the type of mass notification that TechRadium provides via its IRIS (Immediate Response Information System) technology.
“There have been recently some municipalities and other organizations who have claimed they’ll use Twitter for emergency notification systems, and that’s technology that TechRadium has spent many years and a lot of money developing,” Staples said.
IRIS lets organizations broadcast a single message to multiple recipients who can receive it on a variety of devices like regular phones, cell phones and fax machines. It’s intended to quickly alert people about emergency situations.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, seeks among other things unspecified damages, recovery of attorneys’ fees and a permanent injunction against Twitter.
The patents Twitter is allegedly infringing are patent number 7,130,389, granted in October 2006 for a “digital notification and response system”; patent number 7,496,183, granted in February 2009 for a “method for providing digital notification”; and patent number 7,519,165, granted in April 2009 for a “method for providing digital notification and receiving responses.”
Twitter didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment
From Macworld Web Services.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Yahoo Labs chief sees real-time search opportunity
Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:10pm EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc is considering developing new real-time search capabilities, even as it outsources its existing Internet search technology to Microsoft Corp.
Yahoo's Prabhakar Raghavan, head of Yahoo Labs, said that the company could potentially "mine" messages from Twitter, the popular microblogging service, to offer Web surfers search results beyond those offered by Microsoft's Bing.
Bing is the Microsoft search engine that is to provide Yahoo's standard search results, under the terms of a long-awaited partnership announced this week.
"I've always held that the interesting thing of Tweets is not necessarily searching them but mining them. So we could real-time mine them, then assemble what we mine into the search engine," said Raghavan in an interview with Reuters on Friday.
By "mining" the data, Yahoo could offer search results far beyond a simple list of comments on Web sites, for instance, but instead could analyze data and group results by criteria ranging from topic to geography.
While Raghavan stressed that he was not "pre-announcing" any product plans, he said his comments were intended to paint a picture of some of the things that Yahoo is considering in its new form.
On Wednesday, Yahoo and Microsoft announced a 10-year partnership in which Yahoo will use Microsoft's search and search advertising technology. The move will allow Yahoo to save some $425 million in operating expenses, the company said.
Raghavan said much of the savings will come from back-end infrastructure technology, now that Yahoo no longer invests in the resources to crawl and index the world's vast number of Web sites.
But he said that Yahoo will continue to develop innovative search and communications products.
"In terms of satisfying user intent, the hard work and in some sense the bigger growth opportunities for differentiation are not the back-end of crawling and indexing, but really surfacing and assembling content the right way to satisfy user intent," he said.
Real Time search is an increasingly popular online activity where Yahoo's approach to search could provide a compelling user experience, Raghavan said.
Unlike traditional Internet search, which allows Web surfers to find Web pages on various topics, real-time search focuses on the flood of constantly updated messages posted by people using social networking services like Twitter.
A number of smaller private companies like Collecta and OneRiot have developed real time search products, as has Twitter itself, which offers its own search engine to cull through its Tweets.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc is considering developing new real-time search capabilities, even as it outsources its existing Internet search technology to Microsoft Corp.
Yahoo's Prabhakar Raghavan, head of Yahoo Labs, said that the company could potentially "mine" messages from Twitter, the popular microblogging service, to offer Web surfers search results beyond those offered by Microsoft's Bing.
Bing is the Microsoft search engine that is to provide Yahoo's standard search results, under the terms of a long-awaited partnership announced this week.
"I've always held that the interesting thing of Tweets is not necessarily searching them but mining them. So we could real-time mine them, then assemble what we mine into the search engine," said Raghavan in an interview with Reuters on Friday.
By "mining" the data, Yahoo could offer search results far beyond a simple list of comments on Web sites, for instance, but instead could analyze data and group results by criteria ranging from topic to geography.
While Raghavan stressed that he was not "pre-announcing" any product plans, he said his comments were intended to paint a picture of some of the things that Yahoo is considering in its new form.
On Wednesday, Yahoo and Microsoft announced a 10-year partnership in which Yahoo will use Microsoft's search and search advertising technology. The move will allow Yahoo to save some $425 million in operating expenses, the company said.
Raghavan said much of the savings will come from back-end infrastructure technology, now that Yahoo no longer invests in the resources to crawl and index the world's vast number of Web sites.
But he said that Yahoo will continue to develop innovative search and communications products.
"In terms of satisfying user intent, the hard work and in some sense the bigger growth opportunities for differentiation are not the back-end of crawling and indexing, but really surfacing and assembling content the right way to satisfy user intent," he said.
Real Time search is an increasingly popular online activity where Yahoo's approach to search could provide a compelling user experience, Raghavan said.
Unlike traditional Internet search, which allows Web surfers to find Web pages on various topics, real-time search focuses on the flood of constantly updated messages posted by people using social networking services like Twitter.
A number of smaller private companies like Collecta and OneRiot have developed real time search products, as has Twitter itself, which offers its own search engine to cull through its Tweets.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Amazon Apologizes For Kindle Flap
CEO Jeff Bezos said removing copies of e-books from customers' Kindles was "stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles
By Deborah Gage Information Week July 24, 2009
In a brief but pointed statement Thursday, Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos apologized for removing copies of e-books from customers' Kindles last week, a move that angered consumers and forced Amazon to defend what appeared to be arbitrary and controlling behavior.
Amazon's targets were the books Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell, two novels about the horrors of repressive societies.
The company deleted the books both from customers' Kindles and the Kindle store, where they'd been sold. An Amazon spokesman said the books had been added to the store by a company that didn't have rights to them and were unauthorized copies.
The irony of Amazon remotely deleting novels about repression was not lost on customers. Although they were offered refunds, several were upset just the same. "I liken it to a Barnes & Noble clerk coming to my house when I'm not home, taking a book I bought from them from my bookshelf and leaving cash in its place," one customer wrote on Amazon's Web site. "It's a violation of my property and this is a perfect example of why people (rightly) hate DRM."
On Thursday, as Amazon reported quarterly revenue that missed Wall Street's expectations and suffered a drop in share price of nearly 7%, Bezos was contrite.
"This is an apology for the way we previously handled illegally sold copies of 1984 and other novels on Kindle," he wrote on Amazon's site. "Our 'solution' to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles. It is wholly self-inflicted, and we deserve the criticism we've received. We will use the scar tissue from this painful mistake to help make better decisions going forward, ones that match our mission."
Bezos' post has received over 250 comments so far.
Some customers also reported losing copies of other e-books on their Kindles, including novels by Ayn Rand and some of the Harry Potter books.
Amazon has promised not to remove books from customers' Kindles again, although it is not clear whether the company will also change how it monitors the Kindle store for unauthorized works.
By Deborah Gage Information Week July 24, 2009
In a brief but pointed statement Thursday, Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos apologized for removing copies of e-books from customers' Kindles last week, a move that angered consumers and forced Amazon to defend what appeared to be arbitrary and controlling behavior.
Amazon's targets were the books Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell, two novels about the horrors of repressive societies.
The company deleted the books both from customers' Kindles and the Kindle store, where they'd been sold. An Amazon spokesman said the books had been added to the store by a company that didn't have rights to them and were unauthorized copies.
The irony of Amazon remotely deleting novels about repression was not lost on customers. Although they were offered refunds, several were upset just the same. "I liken it to a Barnes & Noble clerk coming to my house when I'm not home, taking a book I bought from them from my bookshelf and leaving cash in its place," one customer wrote on Amazon's Web site. "It's a violation of my property and this is a perfect example of why people (rightly) hate DRM."
On Thursday, as Amazon reported quarterly revenue that missed Wall Street's expectations and suffered a drop in share price of nearly 7%, Bezos was contrite.
"This is an apology for the way we previously handled illegally sold copies of 1984 and other novels on Kindle," he wrote on Amazon's site. "Our 'solution' to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles. It is wholly self-inflicted, and we deserve the criticism we've received. We will use the scar tissue from this painful mistake to help make better decisions going forward, ones that match our mission."
Bezos' post has received over 250 comments so far.
Some customers also reported losing copies of other e-books on their Kindles, including novels by Ayn Rand and some of the Harry Potter books.
Amazon has promised not to remove books from customers' Kindles again, although it is not clear whether the company will also change how it monitors the Kindle store for unauthorized works.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Gates' Liberal College Town No Stranger to Racial Dust-Ups
Racism Allegations in Recent Past at Harvard and MIT in Cambridge, Mass.
By PATRIK JONSSON
The arrest of an African-American professor at his home near Harvard University gives a rare view into racial tensions in a seemingly unlikely place: America's ivory tower and its liberal environs.
At least in the popular mind, flare-ups between police and minorities tend to occur in the 'hoods and barrios of poverty-ridden American cities. But the liberal bastion of Cambridge, Mass. (per capita income: $31,156; black population: 12 percent), the home of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has its own complex encounters with racial attitudes.
Five years ago, Harvard's S. Allen Counter, a black professor of neuroscience, was stopped by Harvard campus police in what many saw as a racial-profiling incident.
About three years later, an assistant professor at MIT, James Sherley, raised a ruckus over his failure to get tenure, a decision that he claimed was race-based.
Related
No N-Word, But Still Subtle Racial Prejudice
Obama Keeps the Faith on His BlackBerry
Obama Invites Gates, Cambridge Cop To White House
Those claims were never proved, but MIT has embarked on what it calls the Initiative on Faculty Race and Diversity to address the university's problems in hiring black faculty.
And last week, Harvard Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested after one of his neighbors called police saying that two black men were trying to break into Gates' house. The scholar, who had a tense encounter with the police, was charged with disorderly conduct.
To be sure, there's debate about whether Gates engaged in a battle of wills with a Cambridge police officer. But whatever the case, authorities dropped the charges Tuesday.
Gates, for one, is still angry and considering his legal options.
These incidents indicate that for liberal institutions and communities like Cambridge, race can be a complicated and, at times, paradoxical issue.
On the one hand, U.S. universities have created hundreds of departments for African-American studies -- of which Harvard's is arguably the most preeminent. But on the other hand, racial diversity among faculty at U.S. universities -- which columnist Stephanie Ramage calls "bastions of equality and enlightenment" -- is, on the whole, lagging.
abcnews.go.com/Politics/story 7-25-2009
By PATRIK JONSSON
The arrest of an African-American professor at his home near Harvard University gives a rare view into racial tensions in a seemingly unlikely place: America's ivory tower and its liberal environs.
At least in the popular mind, flare-ups between police and minorities tend to occur in the 'hoods and barrios of poverty-ridden American cities. But the liberal bastion of Cambridge, Mass. (per capita income: $31,156; black population: 12 percent), the home of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has its own complex encounters with racial attitudes.
Five years ago, Harvard's S. Allen Counter, a black professor of neuroscience, was stopped by Harvard campus police in what many saw as a racial-profiling incident.
About three years later, an assistant professor at MIT, James Sherley, raised a ruckus over his failure to get tenure, a decision that he claimed was race-based.
Related
No N-Word, But Still Subtle Racial Prejudice
Obama Keeps the Faith on His BlackBerry
Obama Invites Gates, Cambridge Cop To White House
Those claims were never proved, but MIT has embarked on what it calls the Initiative on Faculty Race and Diversity to address the university's problems in hiring black faculty.
And last week, Harvard Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested after one of his neighbors called police saying that two black men were trying to break into Gates' house. The scholar, who had a tense encounter with the police, was charged with disorderly conduct.
To be sure, there's debate about whether Gates engaged in a battle of wills with a Cambridge police officer. But whatever the case, authorities dropped the charges Tuesday.
Gates, for one, is still angry and considering his legal options.
These incidents indicate that for liberal institutions and communities like Cambridge, race can be a complicated and, at times, paradoxical issue.
On the one hand, U.S. universities have created hundreds of departments for African-American studies -- of which Harvard's is arguably the most preeminent. But on the other hand, racial diversity among faculty at U.S. universities -- which columnist Stephanie Ramage calls "bastions of equality and enlightenment" -- is, on the whole, lagging.
abcnews.go.com/Politics/story 7-25-2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Hacker break-in of Twitter e-mail yields secret docs
Underscores problems broadcasting life's secrets to the world, say experts
By Gregg KeizerJuly 16, 2009 01:16 PM ET
Computerworld - A hacker made off with confidential Twitter documents after breaking into an employee's e-mail account, the company's co-founder confirmed yesterday.
Security experts today said that the breach and theft highlights the problem people have with creating, and then remembering, strong passwords, and the increasing tendency to disclose personal information on services like Twitter and Facebook.
"What it boils down to is that people are lazy and lackadaisical about their personal paranoia," said Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle Network Security. "People should be thinking twice about what they're making public."
The breach occurred about a month ago, said Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, when a hacker calling himself Hacker Croll broke into an administrative assistant's e-mail account, then used that to collect information that let him access the employee's Google Apps account. Twitter workers use the corporate version of Google Apps to share documents and other information within the company.
Hacker Croll then forwarded hundreds of pages of internal Twitter documents to Web sites, including TechCrunch, which in turn has published some and referred to others. Among the finds: Financial projections by Twitter that it will have a billion users, $1.54 billion in revenue and $1.1 billion in net earnings by 2013.
The privately held Twitter does not disclose the current number of users or its financials, but some metrics firms estimate the site has six million unique visitors a month. Documents disclosed by TechCrunch said Twitter was projecting 25 million users by the end of this year.
Stone denied reports that a bug in Google Apps was responsible. "This attack had nothing to do with any vulnerability in Google Apps, which we continue to use," he said in a blog entry yesterday. "This is more about Twitter being in enough of a spotlight that folks who work here can become targets. This was not a hack on the Twitter service, it was a personal attack followed by the theft of private company documents."
Exactly, said security experts today, who put the blame on a combination of online password retrieval systems and people's disclosure of their personal life on social networking services.
"This has nothing to do with cloud computing," said Sam Masiello, vice president of information security at Englewood, Colo.-based MX Logic. "It's about weak passwords that are easily guessable, with a huge contribution from people's habit of putting online information that they wouldn't otherwise share with anyone but their closest friends. It's not hard to crack [password resets] with the information you can find freely available on social networking sites."
Like the breach of Gov. Sarah Palin's Yahoo e-mail account last fall, security researchers guessed that Hacker Croll gained access to the Twitter employee's account using Google's password rest feature which poses several personal questions to authenticate the user. Hacker Croll likely dug up possible responses by rooting through the Web for details on the assistant, then used those to reset the password to one only he knew.
From Computerworld.com
See--http://harlemvoiceblogs.blogspot.com
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Google: The World's Most Successful Failure?
David Coursey, PC World Thursday, July 09, 2009 8:30 AM PDT
The amazing thing about Google is how a business that makes 97 percent of its revenue selling advertising has people convinced that it is a technology company. And then gets a free pass despite a series of failures outside its core competencies in search and online ad sales.
Right now, Google seems to be flooding the market with products that are not quite finished. People do not care because the products work well enough and are free. But, suppose people had to pay for them? Then where would Google be?
(See Related: Top 10 Google Flubs, Flops, and Failures
Even though Chrome will be a "free" OS , it will still come loaded on a computer people well be asked to spend perhaps $300 to $400 to purchase. That puts Google under real pressure to perform, something it has never really faced.
Google's Android smartphone OS is well-liked by some and seems to be gaining acceptance, even though its yet to prove itself with paying customers. My impression is that Android will ultimately demonstrate the importance of controlling both hardware and software if you want smartphone success. Apple, RIM, and Palm have that control, while Google and Microsoft do not.
Besides selling ads and providing search results, what successes has Google actually had in the technology space? There's, er, and, uh, and then what? OK, Gmail, but it relies on ad sales tied to content, making it an extension of the core search business.
Gmail does, however, demonstrate that Google is technically more than competent and is capable of real innovation. Nevertheless, its ability to turn innovation into profits remains tied to ad sales.
Based on results so far, there is little reason to believe Google can make its Chrome OS into the world-changer most everyone already seems to believe it will become. It may happen, and I would welcome it, but it is not a foregone conclusion.
Google's applications haven't done terribly well (especially in attracting paying customers), its ventures into selling radio, newspaper, and television advertising have run aground, it's first adventure into operating systems is moving slowly, and now it's going head-to-head with Microsoft on netbooks?
If any other company were doing this, we would say they were daft. However, being the darling that it is, Google's Chrome OS is already being treated as a foregone success.
Maybe that will happen. But, unless Chrome is dramatically more successful than all the Linux-based operating systems that have come before, there isn't a lot of reason to believe Chrome will do more than force netbook pricing concessions from Microsoft. If that.
My hunch is that Google will manage to get Chrome OS onto a bunch of netbooks and then hit a brick wall of unfulfilled customer expectation, at least initially, because the infrastructure doesn't exist to support a mostly web-based computing experience.
The counter argument is that the iPhone has managed to become a real computing platform that, if run on a netbook, could actually get a lot of work done. Provided people are willing to accept its limitations.
So, if you're willing to accept a netbook that is able to do whatever Chrome OS can manage, then you're set. If, however, you expect a netbook to do what your laptop does, only smaller and less expensively, then you will be disappointed and buy Windows instead of Chrome.
The move to cloud-based computing makes a lot of sense and I am a supporter, but still believe a hybrid computing experience that includes both installed and online applications makes the most sense for most users right now and, probably, for years to come.
To me, that says Windows today and maybe another OS someday, but not right away.
Nevertheless, we have to take Google very seriously. By decoupling its technology investments from the need to actually produce profits, Google has an ocean of money to spend in search of its next big thing and little pressure for an immediate return on that investment.
Nevertheless, Google has made a number of bets, only a few of them successful, while many more remain in play. While definitely the most interesting company in technology, Google is not software or online services company in the traditional sense. That is both Google's strength and its weakness.
Tech industry veteran David Coursey tweets as techinciter and can be reached via his Web site at www.coursey.com
See---http://harlemvoiceblogs.blogspot.com
The amazing thing about Google is how a business that makes 97 percent of its revenue selling advertising has people convinced that it is a technology company. And then gets a free pass despite a series of failures outside its core competencies in search and online ad sales.
Right now, Google seems to be flooding the market with products that are not quite finished. People do not care because the products work well enough and are free. But, suppose people had to pay for them? Then where would Google be?
(See Related: Top 10 Google Flubs, Flops, and Failures
Even though Chrome will be a "free" OS , it will still come loaded on a computer people well be asked to spend perhaps $300 to $400 to purchase. That puts Google under real pressure to perform, something it has never really faced.
Google's Android smartphone OS is well-liked by some and seems to be gaining acceptance, even though its yet to prove itself with paying customers. My impression is that Android will ultimately demonstrate the importance of controlling both hardware and software if you want smartphone success. Apple, RIM, and Palm have that control, while Google and Microsoft do not.
Besides selling ads and providing search results, what successes has Google actually had in the technology space? There's, er, and, uh, and then what? OK, Gmail, but it relies on ad sales tied to content, making it an extension of the core search business.
Gmail does, however, demonstrate that Google is technically more than competent and is capable of real innovation. Nevertheless, its ability to turn innovation into profits remains tied to ad sales.
Based on results so far, there is little reason to believe Google can make its Chrome OS into the world-changer most everyone already seems to believe it will become. It may happen, and I would welcome it, but it is not a foregone conclusion.
Google's applications haven't done terribly well (especially in attracting paying customers), its ventures into selling radio, newspaper, and television advertising have run aground, it's first adventure into operating systems is moving slowly, and now it's going head-to-head with Microsoft on netbooks?
If any other company were doing this, we would say they were daft. However, being the darling that it is, Google's Chrome OS is already being treated as a foregone success.
Maybe that will happen. But, unless Chrome is dramatically more successful than all the Linux-based operating systems that have come before, there isn't a lot of reason to believe Chrome will do more than force netbook pricing concessions from Microsoft. If that.
My hunch is that Google will manage to get Chrome OS onto a bunch of netbooks and then hit a brick wall of unfulfilled customer expectation, at least initially, because the infrastructure doesn't exist to support a mostly web-based computing experience.
The counter argument is that the iPhone has managed to become a real computing platform that, if run on a netbook, could actually get a lot of work done. Provided people are willing to accept its limitations.
So, if you're willing to accept a netbook that is able to do whatever Chrome OS can manage, then you're set. If, however, you expect a netbook to do what your laptop does, only smaller and less expensively, then you will be disappointed and buy Windows instead of Chrome.
The move to cloud-based computing makes a lot of sense and I am a supporter, but still believe a hybrid computing experience that includes both installed and online applications makes the most sense for most users right now and, probably, for years to come.
To me, that says Windows today and maybe another OS someday, but not right away.
Nevertheless, we have to take Google very seriously. By decoupling its technology investments from the need to actually produce profits, Google has an ocean of money to spend in search of its next big thing and little pressure for an immediate return on that investment.
Nevertheless, Google has made a number of bets, only a few of them successful, while many more remain in play. While definitely the most interesting company in technology, Google is not software or online services company in the traditional sense. That is both Google's strength and its weakness.
Tech industry veteran David Coursey tweets as techinciter and can be reached via his Web site at www.coursey.com
See---http://harlemvoiceblogs.blogspot.com
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Apple pulls iPhone program containing pictures of topless women
Bloomberg News
1:15 PM PDT, June 26, 2009
Apple Inc. said it removed a program from its iPhone store yesterday because the developer added pictures of topless women, violating the company's policy against "offensive content.""Apple will not distribute applications that contain inappropriate content," said Tom Neumayr, a spokesman for the company. "The developer of this application added inappropriate content directly from their server after the application had been approved and distributed, and after the developer had subsequently been asked to remove some offensive content."
The $2 program, called Hottest Girls, was created by Allen Leung. He didn't immediately return an e-mail seeking comment. His Web site no longer contains information about the application.Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs announced the iPhone App Store in March 2008, saying the company would impose restrictions on the types of programs distributed. Prohibited programs include "porn, malicious apps, apps that invade your privacy," he said at the time.The App Store, which opened in July 2008, offers more than 50,000 programs that run on the iPhone and Apple's iPod Touch media player. The company gets a 30 percent cut of each application sold and distributes free programs at no cost to developers. Customers have downloaded more than 1 billion programs in the past year, according to Apple.
Click---http://harlemvoiceblogs.blogspot.com
1:15 PM PDT, June 26, 2009
Apple Inc. said it removed a program from its iPhone store yesterday because the developer added pictures of topless women, violating the company's policy against "offensive content.""Apple will not distribute applications that contain inappropriate content," said Tom Neumayr, a spokesman for the company. "The developer of this application added inappropriate content directly from their server after the application had been approved and distributed, and after the developer had subsequently been asked to remove some offensive content."
The $2 program, called Hottest Girls, was created by Allen Leung. He didn't immediately return an e-mail seeking comment. His Web site no longer contains information about the application.Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs announced the iPhone App Store in March 2008, saying the company would impose restrictions on the types of programs distributed. Prohibited programs include "porn, malicious apps, apps that invade your privacy," he said at the time.The App Store, which opened in July 2008, offers more than 50,000 programs that run on the iPhone and Apple's iPod Touch media player. The company gets a 30 percent cut of each application sold and distributes free programs at no cost to developers. Customers have downloaded more than 1 billion programs in the past year, according to Apple.
Click---http://harlemvoiceblogs.blogspot.com
Friday, June 19, 2009
Obama's 'national conversation' on fatherhood
By Mike Dorning June 20, 2009
Reporting from Washington -- President Obama, who barely knew his own father, devoted his afternoon Friday to promoting the importance of being a good dad, saying he wanted to start a "national conversation" on the subject.Two days before Father's Day, Obama attended events related to fatherhood -- gathering famous and not-so-famous dads for a series of service projects around Washington and a White House town hall meeting, then addressing young men on the South Lawn.
He spoke in deeply personal terms of "the hole in a child's heart" left by an absent father and of the powerful influence his Kenyan father exerted during the only visit the senior Obama made after he and the president's mother had divorced. Obama noted that during that visit -- when he was 10 -- his father gave him his first basketball and took him to his first jazz concert, stirring life-long interests."Fathers are our first teachers and coaches, they're our mentors and role models, they set an example of success and push us to succeed," Obama said at the White House. "When fathers are absent, when they abandon their responsibility to their children, we know the damage that does to our families."Although presidents typically mark Father's Day and celebrate the virtues of family, the attention Obama devoted was unusual. He also wrote an article to appear Sunday in Parade magazine and plans a Father's Day interview on CBS' "Sunday Morning." Friday's White House event was to be followed by regional meetings on fatherhood.
Reporting from Washington -- President Obama, who barely knew his own father, devoted his afternoon Friday to promoting the importance of being a good dad, saying he wanted to start a "national conversation" on the subject.Two days before Father's Day, Obama attended events related to fatherhood -- gathering famous and not-so-famous dads for a series of service projects around Washington and a White House town hall meeting, then addressing young men on the South Lawn.
He spoke in deeply personal terms of "the hole in a child's heart" left by an absent father and of the powerful influence his Kenyan father exerted during the only visit the senior Obama made after he and the president's mother had divorced. Obama noted that during that visit -- when he was 10 -- his father gave him his first basketball and took him to his first jazz concert, stirring life-long interests."Fathers are our first teachers and coaches, they're our mentors and role models, they set an example of success and push us to succeed," Obama said at the White House. "When fathers are absent, when they abandon their responsibility to their children, we know the damage that does to our families."Although presidents typically mark Father's Day and celebrate the virtues of family, the attention Obama devoted was unusual. He also wrote an article to appear Sunday in Parade magazine and plans a Father's Day interview on CBS' "Sunday Morning." Friday's White House event was to be followed by regional meetings on fatherhood.
The importance of fatherhood has been a touchstone for Obama throughout his public life, going back to the memoir he wrote after his election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. The memoir, "Dreams From My Father," explored the role of his absent father in Obama's search for his own identity.As a politician, he regularly has used Father's Day as an occasion to exhort men, particularly African Americans, to fully embrace the responsibilities of fatherhood. In 2005, on the first Father's Day after his election to the U.S. Senate, he went to a black church in Chicago to challenge African American fathers to act like "full-grown" men. He gave similar speeches tied to Father's Day during both years of his presidential campaign, and frequently quotes the statistic that more than half of African American children grow up in single-parent homes.The fatherhood initiative continues Obama's efforts to ground his life story in the most traditional of values: hard work, advancement by education, and family.First Lady Michelle Obama describes her preeminent role as "mom-in-chief." Obama regularly speaks of raising his two daughters, Malia and Sasha, and frequently is photographed with his children at his side. He often said the most difficult part of his grueling two-year campaign for the presidency was the separation from his children, and has said one of his favorite things about life in the White House is that he lives above the office and can usually share breakfast and dinner with his family.In his essay in Parade, Obama speaks of the struggles that he faces in common with much of the country in balancing work and family life, noting that at times he has been "an imperfect father.""I know I have made mistakes," he writes. "I have lost count of all the times, over the years, when the demands of work have taken me from the duties of fatherhood.""On this Father's Day, I am recommitting myself to that work, to those duties," he writes, "to build a foundation for our children's dreams, to give them the love and support they need to fulfill them, and to stick with them the whole way through."
From the L.A.Times
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Tips for getting ready for the DTV switch
BY GARY DYMSKI gary.dymski@newsday.com
1:03 PM EDT, June 9, 2009
Starting Friday, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop analog broadcasts and switch to digital. To continue receiving their usual programming, viewers not connected to cable, satellite or another pay-TV service will need to acquire a digital tuner. Cablevision customers will not be affected by the transition.
However, Cablevision has eliminated the analog feed on certain channels in its Family Cable package, or expanded basice service, requiring about 150,000 subscribers to obtain digital equipment to continue receiving those channels. It costs $6.75 a month for each digital set-top box and $5.95 a month for navigation service.Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about the switch:Q. What can I do to continue watching TV when analog transmission ends?
A. You have three options:1. Keep your existing analog TV and purchase a TV converter box with or without a government coupon.2. Connect to cable, satellite or another pay service.3. Purchase a television with a digital tuner. Q. How can I get a government coupon for a converter box?A. Your household is eligible for up to two $40 coupons for converter boxes. Call 888-388-2009 or apply online at dtv2009.gov.Q. Where can I use the coupons?A. Many large retail stores sell converter boxes and will accept the coupons. A list is at newsday.com.Q. Is it difficult to hook up a converter box to my set?A. The box plugs into the TV set. You'll still need your antenna, which works with the converter box. The boxes come with installation instructions, and an installation video is available at DigitalTips.org.
See---http://harlemvoiceblogs.blogspot.com
1:03 PM EDT, June 9, 2009
Starting Friday, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop analog broadcasts and switch to digital. To continue receiving their usual programming, viewers not connected to cable, satellite or another pay-TV service will need to acquire a digital tuner. Cablevision customers will not be affected by the transition.
However, Cablevision has eliminated the analog feed on certain channels in its Family Cable package, or expanded basice service, requiring about 150,000 subscribers to obtain digital equipment to continue receiving those channels. It costs $6.75 a month for each digital set-top box and $5.95 a month for navigation service.Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about the switch:Q. What can I do to continue watching TV when analog transmission ends?
A. You have three options:1. Keep your existing analog TV and purchase a TV converter box with or without a government coupon.2. Connect to cable, satellite or another pay service.3. Purchase a television with a digital tuner. Q. How can I get a government coupon for a converter box?A. Your household is eligible for up to two $40 coupons for converter boxes. Call 888-388-2009 or apply online at dtv2009.gov.Q. Where can I use the coupons?A. Many large retail stores sell converter boxes and will accept the coupons. A list is at newsday.com.Q. Is it difficult to hook up a converter box to my set?A. The box plugs into the TV set. You'll still need your antenna, which works with the converter box. The boxes come with installation instructions, and an installation video is available at DigitalTips.org.
See---http://harlemvoiceblogs.blogspot.com
Friday, June 05, 2009
Obama urges laggards get ready for digital TV
Thu Jun 4, 2009 7:44pm ED
WASHINGTON, June 4 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama warned Americans on Thursday who have not prepared for the June 12 transition to digital television that their TVs could go dark if they do not get a converter box soon.
"I want to be clear: there will not be another delay. I urge everyone who is not yet prepared to act today, so you don't lose important news and emergency information on June 12," Obama said in a statement.
Congress originally mandated the nation's nearly 1,800 full-power television stations to switch to digital signals from analog on Feb. 17, and about one-third did so at the time.
But fearing that as many as 20 million mostly poor, elderly and rural households were not ready, lawmakers voted early this year to postpone the transition almost four months.
"The number of households unprepared for digital television has been cut in half. Still, some people are not ready," said Obama, who has been traveling in the Middle East.
"I encourage all Americans who are prepared to talk to their friends, family, and neighbors to make sure they get ready before it's too late," Obama said.
The switch is intended to free up airwaves for broadband and enhanced emergency communications for police, firefighters and other first responders.
A converter box for TVs that now rely on an antenna to receive a broadcast signal costs between $40 and $80.
The Commerce Department offers $40 coupons through its website at www.dtv2009.gov. It warns consumers who apply now that they may not receive a coupon in time. (Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Peter Cooney)
WASHINGTON, June 4 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama warned Americans on Thursday who have not prepared for the June 12 transition to digital television that their TVs could go dark if they do not get a converter box soon.
"I want to be clear: there will not be another delay. I urge everyone who is not yet prepared to act today, so you don't lose important news and emergency information on June 12," Obama said in a statement.
Congress originally mandated the nation's nearly 1,800 full-power television stations to switch to digital signals from analog on Feb. 17, and about one-third did so at the time.
But fearing that as many as 20 million mostly poor, elderly and rural households were not ready, lawmakers voted early this year to postpone the transition almost four months.
"The number of households unprepared for digital television has been cut in half. Still, some people are not ready," said Obama, who has been traveling in the Middle East.
"I encourage all Americans who are prepared to talk to their friends, family, and neighbors to make sure they get ready before it's too late," Obama said.
The switch is intended to free up airwaves for broadband and enhanced emergency communications for police, firefighters and other first responders.
A converter box for TVs that now rely on an antenna to receive a broadcast signal costs between $40 and $80.
The Commerce Department offers $40 coupons through its website at www.dtv2009.gov. It warns consumers who apply now that they may not receive a coupon in time. (Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Friday, May 29, 2009
Obama to name White House cyber official
Fri May 29, 2009 12:03pm EDT
By Diane Bartz
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Friday he would name a top cybersecurity official to the White House as he released a report that recommended how to safeguard the nation's cyber network.
"Cyberspace is real and so are the risks that come with it," said Obama in remarks at the White House.
Obama also said that his administration would not dictate cybersecurity standards for private companies.
The tech industry had pushed for a cybersecurity official to be in the White House to assure access to the president.
The cybersecurity review, headed by Melissa Hathaway, had urged the president to name a White House coordinator to oversee cybersecurity. It also said that the private sector must be involved.
"Now our virtual world is going viral," said Obama. "We have only begun to explore the next generation of technologies that will transform our lives in ways we can't even begin imagine. So a new world awaits, a world of greater security and greater potential prosperity if we reach for it, if we leap."
Holes in U.S. cybersecurity defenses have allowed major incidents of thefts of personal identity, money, intellectual property and corporate secrets.
(Reporting by Diane Bartz, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Friday he would name a top cybersecurity official to the White House as he released a report that recommended how to safeguard the nation's cyber network.
"Cyberspace is real and so are the risks that come with it," said Obama in remarks at the White House.
Obama also said that his administration would not dictate cybersecurity standards for private companies.
The tech industry had pushed for a cybersecurity official to be in the White House to assure access to the president.
The cybersecurity review, headed by Melissa Hathaway, had urged the president to name a White House coordinator to oversee cybersecurity. It also said that the private sector must be involved.
"Now our virtual world is going viral," said Obama. "We have only begun to explore the next generation of technologies that will transform our lives in ways we can't even begin imagine. So a new world awaits, a world of greater security and greater potential prosperity if we reach for it, if we leap."
Holes in U.S. cybersecurity defenses have allowed major incidents of thefts of personal identity, money, intellectual property and corporate secrets.
(Reporting by Diane Bartz, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Obama's new Supreme court pick
David --I am proud to announce my nominee for the next Justice of the United States Supreme Court: Judge Sonia Sotomayor.This decision affects us all -- and so it must involve us all. I've recorded a special message to personally introduce Judge Sotomayor and explain why I'm so confident she will make an excellent Justice. Please watch the video, and then pass this note on to friends and family to include them in this historic moment.
Judge Sotomayor has lived the America Dream. Born and raised in a South Bronx housing project, she distinguished herself in academia and then as a hard-charging New York District Attorney.Judge Sotomayor has gone on to earn bipartisan acclaim as one of America's finest legal minds. As a Supreme Court Justice, she would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any Justice in 100 years. Judge Sotomayor would show fidelity to our Constitution and draw on a common-sense understanding of how the law affects our day-to-day lives.A nomination for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land is one of the most important decisions a President can make. And the discussions that follow will be among the most important we have as a nation. You can begin the conversation today by watching this special message and then passing it on:http://my.barackobama.com/SupremeCourtThank you,
5-25-09
Judge Sotomayor has lived the America Dream. Born and raised in a South Bronx housing project, she distinguished herself in academia and then as a hard-charging New York District Attorney.Judge Sotomayor has gone on to earn bipartisan acclaim as one of America's finest legal minds. As a Supreme Court Justice, she would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any Justice in 100 years. Judge Sotomayor would show fidelity to our Constitution and draw on a common-sense understanding of how the law affects our day-to-day lives.A nomination for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land is one of the most important decisions a President can make. And the discussions that follow will be among the most important we have as a nation. You can begin the conversation today by watching this special message and then passing it on:http://my.barackobama.com/SupremeCourtThank you,
5-25-09
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Iran tests missile as election race starts
Wed May 20, 2009 3:01pm EDT
By Zahra Hosseinian and Fredrik Dahl
TEHRAN (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday Iran had tested a missile that defense analysts say could hit Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf, a move likely to fuel Western concern about Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
Washington voiced concern after Ahmadinejad announced the test on the same day campaigning for the Iran's June 12 presidential election officially started.
U.S. President Barack Obama "has long been concerned" by any development in Iran's missile program, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. A U.S. official said the test was a "step in the wrong direction".
One Western expert saw the missile test as Iran's response to the Israeli prime minister's U.S. visit this week.
Coming a day after Iran's supreme leader accused the United States of promoting terrorism, the test was a further disappointment for the Obama administration, which is seeking rapprochement with Iran after three decades of mutual mistrust.
"Iran just keeps going in the wrong direction. We want them to engage with us, to talk about how we can make the region more stable. This is just a step in the wrong direction," the U.S. official said.
U.S. patience is "not infinite", the official added.
The United States and its allies suspect the Islamic Republic is seeking to build nuclear bombs, a charge Tehran denies, but Obama has offered a new beginning of diplomatic engagement with Iran if it "unclenches its fist."
A U.S. defense official confirmed the launch, although Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman declined to say whether the U.S. military had any evidence of an Iranian missile test.
AT CROSSROADS
"Our concerns are obviously based on their nuclear ambitions and the implications that long- and medium-range missiles have with respect to that," Whitman told reporters. "Iran is at a bit of a crossroads. They have a choice to make.
"They can either continue on this path of continued destabilization of the region or they can decide that they want to pursue relationships with countries in the region and the United States that are more normalized," he said.
In Rome, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini canceled a trip to Iran after Tehran demanded he meet Ahmadinejad in the same northern Iranian province where the missile launch took place, the Italian Foreign Ministry said.
He would have been the most senior official from a European government to visit since Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005.
Ahmadinejad, whose moderate challengers in the June 12 vote accuse him of isolating Iran with his anti-Western speeches, said the country had the power to send any attacker "to hell." Continued...
By Zahra Hosseinian and Fredrik Dahl
TEHRAN (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday Iran had tested a missile that defense analysts say could hit Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf, a move likely to fuel Western concern about Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
Washington voiced concern after Ahmadinejad announced the test on the same day campaigning for the Iran's June 12 presidential election officially started.
U.S. President Barack Obama "has long been concerned" by any development in Iran's missile program, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. A U.S. official said the test was a "step in the wrong direction".
One Western expert saw the missile test as Iran's response to the Israeli prime minister's U.S. visit this week.
Coming a day after Iran's supreme leader accused the United States of promoting terrorism, the test was a further disappointment for the Obama administration, which is seeking rapprochement with Iran after three decades of mutual mistrust.
"Iran just keeps going in the wrong direction. We want them to engage with us, to talk about how we can make the region more stable. This is just a step in the wrong direction," the U.S. official said.
U.S. patience is "not infinite", the official added.
The United States and its allies suspect the Islamic Republic is seeking to build nuclear bombs, a charge Tehran denies, but Obama has offered a new beginning of diplomatic engagement with Iran if it "unclenches its fist."
A U.S. defense official confirmed the launch, although Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman declined to say whether the U.S. military had any evidence of an Iranian missile test.
AT CROSSROADS
"Our concerns are obviously based on their nuclear ambitions and the implications that long- and medium-range missiles have with respect to that," Whitman told reporters. "Iran is at a bit of a crossroads. They have a choice to make.
"They can either continue on this path of continued destabilization of the region or they can decide that they want to pursue relationships with countries in the region and the United States that are more normalized," he said.
In Rome, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini canceled a trip to Iran after Tehran demanded he meet Ahmadinejad in the same northern Iranian province where the missile launch took place, the Italian Foreign Ministry said.
He would have been the most senior official from a European government to visit since Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005.
Ahmadinejad, whose moderate challengers in the June 12 vote accuse him of isolating Iran with his anti-Western speeches, said the country had the power to send any attacker "to hell." Continued...
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Samsung Camcorders Stay Out of Your Face
By Rik Fairlie
Samsung’s two new camcorders have a cool design feature that you may not notice at first glance. The ultracompact SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 both employ the same Active Angle Lens design as their forerunner, the $500 HMX-R10.
I spent some hands-on time with the HMX-R10 at a recent Samsung event, and the Active Angle Lens design is both cool and clever. The lens is tilted downward, so the camcorder stays out of your line of sight when shooting, enabling you to interact with your subjects as you record them. In other words, there is no camcorder attached to your face. It takes a few minutes to get the hang of it, but the Active Angle Lens design brings a whole new feel to shooting video.
Both the SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 should handle very comfortably, based on my time with the HMX-R10. The space-age design is pretty sweet, too.
The SMX-C14 has 16 gigabytes of internal memory, plus an SD/SDHC memory card slot for expansion. The SMX-C10 is strictly bring-your-own SD memory card. Samsung says you can record more than six hours of video with 16 gigabytes of memory.
Both models shoot video at a high-definition resolution of 720 by 480 pixels, and also feature a 10X optical zoom, image stabilization, and a swiveling 2.7-inch LCD. Other features include time-lapse recording that enables you to record images at preset intervals that range from every 1 second to 30 seconds. Samsung ships both with software that lets you connect to computers via USB and edit and play video without installing software on the PC. They also offer a one-button straight-to-YouTube capability.
Look for the SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 in July. No word yet from Samsung on pricing.
nytimes.com----Personal Tech
Samsung’s two new camcorders have a cool design feature that you may not notice at first glance. The ultracompact SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 both employ the same Active Angle Lens design as their forerunner, the $500 HMX-R10.
I spent some hands-on time with the HMX-R10 at a recent Samsung event, and the Active Angle Lens design is both cool and clever. The lens is tilted downward, so the camcorder stays out of your line of sight when shooting, enabling you to interact with your subjects as you record them. In other words, there is no camcorder attached to your face. It takes a few minutes to get the hang of it, but the Active Angle Lens design brings a whole new feel to shooting video.
Both the SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 should handle very comfortably, based on my time with the HMX-R10. The space-age design is pretty sweet, too.
The SMX-C14 has 16 gigabytes of internal memory, plus an SD/SDHC memory card slot for expansion. The SMX-C10 is strictly bring-your-own SD memory card. Samsung says you can record more than six hours of video with 16 gigabytes of memory.
Both models shoot video at a high-definition resolution of 720 by 480 pixels, and also feature a 10X optical zoom, image stabilization, and a swiveling 2.7-inch LCD. Other features include time-lapse recording that enables you to record images at preset intervals that range from every 1 second to 30 seconds. Samsung ships both with software that lets you connect to computers via USB and edit and play video without installing software on the PC. They also offer a one-button straight-to-YouTube capability.
Look for the SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 in July. No word yet from Samsung on pricing.
nytimes.com----Personal Tech
Monday, May 04, 2009
Coming This Week: A Newer, Bigger Kindle
May 04, 2009 05:14pm EDT by Sarah Lacy in Internet, Media, Networking and Communication, Recession
Related: NYT, AMZN, NEWS, ^IXIC
Play VideoNow Playing
It seems that Amazon is not content to bask in its Kindle 2 glow. After a few weeks of rumors, several media outlets are reporting a new large-format Kindle will launch this week, likely on Wednesday. The speculation is that the new Kindle will be about the size of a sheet of paper, and still black-and-white. But the chatter is less about the specs and more about the impact of a newer, larger Kindle.
Much of the expectation had been centered around the new device making a real play at the education market, given the hefty price and weight of textbooks and younger generations’ willingness to read and process information through screens.
But a Sunday article in the New York Times shifted the debate from education to newspapers. As revenues fall by 30% or more, could a new Kindle reignite traditional media subscriptions the way it juiced book sales? Publishers hope so, including the Times. And Amazon isn’t the only horse in the race. The article mentioned competing e-readers are due out from Hearst, News Corp., and Plastic Logic in the next year.
My guest is blogger Om Malik of GigaOm. He was one of several bloggers who said a bigger format Kindle was too little too late for old media. But textbooks? That’s an industry the device could revolutionize.
Related: NYT, AMZN, NEWS, ^IXIC
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It seems that Amazon is not content to bask in its Kindle 2 glow. After a few weeks of rumors, several media outlets are reporting a new large-format Kindle will launch this week, likely on Wednesday. The speculation is that the new Kindle will be about the size of a sheet of paper, and still black-and-white. But the chatter is less about the specs and more about the impact of a newer, larger Kindle.
Much of the expectation had been centered around the new device making a real play at the education market, given the hefty price and weight of textbooks and younger generations’ willingness to read and process information through screens.
But a Sunday article in the New York Times shifted the debate from education to newspapers. As revenues fall by 30% or more, could a new Kindle reignite traditional media subscriptions the way it juiced book sales? Publishers hope so, including the Times. And Amazon isn’t the only horse in the race. The article mentioned competing e-readers are due out from Hearst, News Corp., and Plastic Logic in the next year.
My guest is blogger Om Malik of GigaOm. He was one of several bloggers who said a bigger format Kindle was too little too late for old media. But textbooks? That’s an industry the device could revolutionize.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
U.S. cybersecurity review done, heads to Obama soon
Reuters Friday, April 17, 2009; 11:04 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will soon receive the results of a 60-day review of cybersecurity that should weigh in on whether he should name a cybersecurity czar, the White House said on Friday.
The review could also make recommendations on how much should be budgeted to prevent potential hacker attacks on critical infrastructure and fight widespread Internet fraud.
"Today, the interagency group undertaking the review concluded its work and is now in the process of submitting its findings and recommendations for the President's review," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement.
"After the President has had an opportunity to carefully review the group's report, we will begin discussing the results," he added.
The review, led by Melissa Hathaway, a top adviser to the former director of national intelligence, was ordered by the White House in early February. Its importance was driven home earlier this month when the Wall Street Journal reported that cyber-spies had penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system.
The United States for several years has accused the Chinese and Russians, among others, of using cyber-attacks to try to steal American trade and military secrets.
Obama was in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday for a summit with Latin American and Caribbean leaders.
Obama's proposed fiscal 2010 budget, announced in late February, included $355 million for the Department of Homeland Security to make private- and public-sector cyber infrastructure more resilient and secure. The administration also said it would put "substantial" funding for cybersecurity efforts into the national intelligence program, but gave no details since that funding is kept secret.
Some of those funds will go to the National Security Agency, which is responsible for breaking codes and electronic spying.
The White House said previously that it would initiate a drive to develop next-generation secure computers and networking for national security applications; establish tough new standards for cyber security and physical resilience; battle corporate cyber espionage and target criminal activity on the Internet.
Industry executives and analysts say the cybersecurity market will be a fast-growing area in coming years and could generate more than $10 billion in contracts by 2013.
From washingtonpost.com
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will soon receive the results of a 60-day review of cybersecurity that should weigh in on whether he should name a cybersecurity czar, the White House said on Friday.
The review could also make recommendations on how much should be budgeted to prevent potential hacker attacks on critical infrastructure and fight widespread Internet fraud.
"Today, the interagency group undertaking the review concluded its work and is now in the process of submitting its findings and recommendations for the President's review," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement.
"After the President has had an opportunity to carefully review the group's report, we will begin discussing the results," he added.
The review, led by Melissa Hathaway, a top adviser to the former director of national intelligence, was ordered by the White House in early February. Its importance was driven home earlier this month when the Wall Street Journal reported that cyber-spies had penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system.
The United States for several years has accused the Chinese and Russians, among others, of using cyber-attacks to try to steal American trade and military secrets.
Obama was in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday for a summit with Latin American and Caribbean leaders.
Obama's proposed fiscal 2010 budget, announced in late February, included $355 million for the Department of Homeland Security to make private- and public-sector cyber infrastructure more resilient and secure. The administration also said it would put "substantial" funding for cybersecurity efforts into the national intelligence program, but gave no details since that funding is kept secret.
Some of those funds will go to the National Security Agency, which is responsible for breaking codes and electronic spying.
The White House said previously that it would initiate a drive to develop next-generation secure computers and networking for national security applications; establish tough new standards for cyber security and physical resilience; battle corporate cyber espionage and target criminal activity on the Internet.
Industry executives and analysts say the cybersecurity market will be a fast-growing area in coming years and could generate more than $10 billion in contracts by 2013.
From washingtonpost.com
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Is Google evil?
BY Matt Marrone DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Thursday, March 19th 2009, 1:05 PM
Is Google evil?
In 2001, just a few years after Sergey Brin and Larry Page formed Google out of a garage, company brass adopted the phrase "Don't Be Evil" as a corporate motto and philosophy. And why not? Their search product revolutionized the Internet and their ad platform broke up the agency stranglehold to help empower the little guy.
Things got murky, though. Google began raising ethical concerns with various projects including mapping the entire planet, archiving classic works of literature and storing newspaper articles. With a project aimed at photographing every street in America and beyond, a feature that tracks the physical location of its users, an e-mail service that searches for keywords in written correspondence - and now with a new online service that records and transcribes voicemail - Google has raised eyebrows among privacy advocates.
Google has built a multi-billion dollar empire, with thousands of employees and a stock price envied around the world - but with great power comes great responsibility, and some fear the Mountain View, Calif.-based company could slowly be turning into a 21st century Big Brother.
Could Google, in fact, be evil?
Thursday, March 19th 2009, 1:05 PM
Is Google evil?
In 2001, just a few years after Sergey Brin and Larry Page formed Google out of a garage, company brass adopted the phrase "Don't Be Evil" as a corporate motto and philosophy. And why not? Their search product revolutionized the Internet and their ad platform broke up the agency stranglehold to help empower the little guy.
Things got murky, though. Google began raising ethical concerns with various projects including mapping the entire planet, archiving classic works of literature and storing newspaper articles. With a project aimed at photographing every street in America and beyond, a feature that tracks the physical location of its users, an e-mail service that searches for keywords in written correspondence - and now with a new online service that records and transcribes voicemail - Google has raised eyebrows among privacy advocates.
Google has built a multi-billion dollar empire, with thousands of employees and a stock price envied around the world - but with great power comes great responsibility, and some fear the Mountain View, Calif.-based company could slowly be turning into a 21st century Big Brother.
Could Google, in fact, be evil?
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Google Denies that White House 'Ditched' YouTube
DATE: 03-MAR-2009
By Chloe Albanesius
Google on Monday denied that the White House was dropping YouTube as its video provider of choice.
"One report stated that the White House had 'ditched' YouTube. That report is wrong," Steve Grove with YouTube news and politics wrote in a blog post. "The White House decision does not mean that the White House has stopped using YouTube. The White House continues to post videos to its YouTube channel, as do other agencies like the U.S. Department of Education and the State Department."
President Obama has posted several video messages to his transition Web site and whitehouse.gov via YouTube. Amidst privacy concerns over YouTube cookies, however, Obama's most recent weekly Saturday address used an embedded player on whitehouse.gov instead of the Google-owned video site.
Google has created a special embeddable video player that does not send a cookie until someone plays the video, Grove wrote.
"The White House also informs whitehouse.gov visitors about these cookies in its privacy policy," he said.
The news comes the same day that John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, provided an update on his office's 60-day cyber security review.
Among the goals of that review? To "safeguard the privacy rights and civil liberties of our citizens," Brennan said in a statement.
The government also wants to make sure its cyber-security efforts are coordinated between the executive branch, Congress, and the private sector, he said.
The review is set to be completed by April 2009, Brennan said. The team's recommendations will be presented to Obama, including an action plan to identify and prioritize further work related to cyber security.
By Chloe Albanesius
Google on Monday denied that the White House was dropping YouTube as its video provider of choice.
"One report stated that the White House had 'ditched' YouTube. That report is wrong," Steve Grove with YouTube news and politics wrote in a blog post. "The White House decision does not mean that the White House has stopped using YouTube. The White House continues to post videos to its YouTube channel, as do other agencies like the U.S. Department of Education and the State Department."
President Obama has posted several video messages to his transition Web site and whitehouse.gov via YouTube. Amidst privacy concerns over YouTube cookies, however, Obama's most recent weekly Saturday address used an embedded player on whitehouse.gov instead of the Google-owned video site.
Google has created a special embeddable video player that does not send a cookie until someone plays the video, Grove wrote.
"The White House also informs whitehouse.gov visitors about these cookies in its privacy policy," he said.
The news comes the same day that John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, provided an update on his office's 60-day cyber security review.
Among the goals of that review? To "safeguard the privacy rights and civil liberties of our citizens," Brennan said in a statement.
The government also wants to make sure its cyber-security efforts are coordinated between the executive branch, Congress, and the private sector, he said.
The review is set to be completed by April 2009, Brennan said. The team's recommendations will be presented to Obama, including an action plan to identify and prioritize further work related to cyber security.
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