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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2004 FBI to Have Access to SEVIS and US-VISIT Databases Microsoft Patches New Hole; Antispam Plan Rejected Yahoo Buys Musicmatch Apple Accused of Gouging U.K. iTunes Customers FBI TO HAVE ACCESS TO SEVIS AND US-VISIT DATABASES The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will give the FBI direct access to databases of both the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and the U.S. Visitor and Immigration Status Indication Technology System (US-VISIT). The decision follows a recommendation from the commission on the September 11 terrorist attacks. Formerly, the FBI was required to go through the DHS to obtain information from either of the databases, which contain data on foreigners in the United States, including students. An FBI spokesperson said the new authority would allow more efficient investigations of suspected terrorists or other criminals. Some expressed concern about the FBI's new access to very sensitive information. Catheryn D. Cotten, director of the international office at Duke University, noted that mistakes in the databases could have significant implications if law enforcement acts on them. Terry W. Hartle of the American Council on Education said the decision sends the message that "the United States isn't as welcoming to international visitors as we have been in the past." Chronicle of Higher Education, 15 September 2004 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/09/2004091501n.htm MICROSOFT PATCHES NEW HOLE; ANTISPAM PLAN REJECTED Microsoft this week released a patch for a vulnerability in how its software handles JPEG images. The flaw affects applications that handle such images, including Windows XP, Office 2003, Visual Studio, and others. The flaw could allow hackers to place malicious code on the computers of users who open infected JPEG files. Craig Schmugar, a virus research manager at McAfee, said the flaw is unusual because of how many applications it affects, which could make it a tempting target for hackers. Meanwhile, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) rejected Microsoft's proposed "sender ID" technology for limiting spam. The technology was designed to prevent spammers from sending messages that appear to come from another sender--"spoofing" return addresses. The IETF said that Microsoft's patent claims over some of the technological parts of its proposed standard would make it difficult to ensure compatibility with other freely licensed protocols. Reuters, 14 September 2004 http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=6235098 YAHOO BUYS MUSICMATCH Yahoo has announced it will buy online music service Musicmatch for $160 million. The acquisition will allow Yahoo to compete in the growing online music market against Apple's iTunes service, RealNetworks, Napster, and Microsoft's recently launched service. Dan Rosensweig, chief operating officer of Yahoo, said his company intends to be "the leading player in the digital music world" and justified the cost of the acquisition by saying it is crucial for Yahoo to get an online music service operating quickly. Market analyst Phil Leigh said Musicmatch's software, which allows users to put existing collections of CDs on their computers, will be a bigger boon to Yahoo that its music store. Musicmatch reportedly has 55 million registered users for its software service, and Yahoo will be looking to sell songs to those users. The problem with that approach, according to Leigh, is that most of the songs being bought online are those that play on Apple's iPod, and Musicmatch songs do not play on that device. New York Times, 15 September 2004 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/15/technology/15music.html APPLE ACCUSED OF GOUGING U.K. ITUNES CUSTOMERS In Britain, the Consumers' Association has accused Apple Computer of charging U.K. customers of its iTunes service nearly 20 percent more than customers in other European countries, such as France or Germany. According to the organization, the per-song cost in Britain of 79 pence is significantly more than the 99 euro cents, or roughly 67 pence, Apple charges to customers in other countries. The group has submitted its complaint to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and noted that the OFT could find Apple in violation of European Union rules regarding competition. A spokesperson from Apple said that the "underlying economic model in each country" affects the local pricing and that a fairer comparison would be to other music downloads in the United Kingdom. BBC, 15 September 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3658200.stm ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/ 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/ ***************************************************** 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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