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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 09, 2004 HP and Apple Team Up on Music Powell Calls for Guidance on Broadband Phone Service Feds Look for Wiretap Authority on VoIP Peer-to-Peer Virus Sharing HP AND APPLE TEAM UP ON MUSIC Hewlett-Packard and Apple Computer have announced a deal that marks important departures for both companies. Starting this summer, Apple will begin making a version of its popular iPod music player that will be sold by Hewlett-Packard. The new iPod, which will be Hewlett-Packard's corporate blue color, is the first time since the 1997 return of Steve Jobs to Apple that the company has gone outside the Apple-only approach. At the same time, Hewlett-Packard will begin including an icon on its computers directing users to Apple's software and music store. Hewlett-Packard has had a very close relationship with Microsoft for several years, and the deal with Apple apparently came as a surprise to Microsoft. An official from Microsoft suggested that the HP-Apple deal will confuse customers who find that other products supported by Hewlett-Packard computers are not compatible with the iPod. New York Times, 9 January 2004 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/09/business/09music.html POWELL CALLS FOR GUIDANCE ON BROADBAND PHONE SERVICE At this week's Consumer Electronics Show, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Michael Powell said he supports his agency's serving as a "forum" to provide guidance on Internet-based phone services. Powell took a firm stand against regulations at this point, which he called an "acute threat" to the emerging field of providing phone service over broadband Internet connections. Powell criticized states that have adopted a regulatory approach to Internet telephony, saying that broadband providers should not be subject to the same regulations and fees as traditional phone carriers. "The FCC has to demonstrate leadership," said Powell. "[T]hat doesn't mean regulating [broadband telephony], but provide a forum to guide it." CNET, 9 January 2004 http://news.com.com/2100-1034_3-5138451.html FEDS LOOK FOR WIRETAP AUTHORITY ON VOIP Officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ) have appealed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure that the nascent field of Internet telephony is covered by the same law-enforcement regulations as traditional phone service. The FCC is expected to rule on several issues of regulation of the new field in the coming weeks. Specifically, the DOJ is arguing that the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), which allows for lawful electronic monitoring of phone calls, be applied to voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone calls. According to the DOJ, "CALEA is vital to national security, law enforcement, and public safety," and compliance among VoIP carriers should not simply be voluntary. Several VoIP companies including Edison and Vonage argue that they are not telecommunications companies and should not be subject to CALEA. Internet News, 8 January 2004 http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3297281 PEER-TO-PEER VIRUS SHARING A recent study from security company TruSecure showed that nearly half of all software traded over the Kazaa file-sharing network was infected with malicious code. The findings apply not to music and video files but to executable files, including programs designed to circumvent digital copyright protections. TruSecure found that of 4,778 executable files it downloaded in one month, 45 percent were infected with a virus, Trojan horse, or other malicious software. Some of the malware infected files on a user's computer; other code would steal user passwords or allow hackers to control an infected machine. Bruce Hughes of TruSecure noted that although infected files typically have .exe extensions, an attacker could disguise such a file with a .wav or .jpg extension. Hughes said up-to-date antivirus software would be able to identify 85 to 90 percent of the malicious code found in Kazaa files. Wired News, 9 January 2004 http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,61852,00.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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