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Today's Topics:
1. FCC to examine CBS newsroom consolidation (Greg Williams)
2. RIAA Admits ISPs Have Misidentified "John Does" (Rob)
3. EarthLink is selected as Houston's WiFi provider (George Antunes)
4. Houston: With EarthLink selected, plan zooms to council
(George Antunes)
5. NY, Calif more likely identity theft targets: study (Rob)
6. IBM says new technology can triple data storage: report (Rob)
7. Microsoft warns of six "critical" security flaws (Rob)
8. Is that really what your email meant to say? (Rob)
9. New fronts in Microsoft security battle (Rob)
10. New plugged-in toys follow kids online (Rob)
11. Microsoft Launches New DRM, Bloggers Up In Arms (Rob)
12. Music Exec Rebuts Apple's Critique of DRM (Rob)
13. New Hack Simplifies HD Video Copying (Rob)
14. Microsoft settles Iowa antitrust case (Rob)
15. Vista Will Have Little Impact on Mac Sales: Analyst (Rob)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 23:56:43 -0500
From: Greg Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] FCC to examine CBS newsroom consolidation
To: Media News <medianews@twiar.org>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
FCC to examine CBS newsroom consolidation
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Entertainment/20070213-100329-3233r/
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. Federal Communications Commission
will investigate allegations that CBS Television is seeking to
consolidate newsrooms, a congressman says.
U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., said the FCC has requested reports
from the CBS network and the Writers Guild of America East and West on
the situation, Radio&Records.com reported. The agency said it would
report to the congressman "once we have heard from the parties."
CBS and the Writers Guild of America are currently in contract
negotiations that would extend their 50-year working relationship in New
York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles. CBS allegedly began talks
with the union on consolidating newsrooms by methods such as firing
staff after mergers and removing news producers from bargaining units,
the congressman's office said.
Saying he was pleased that the FCC agreed to investigate, Hinchey said,
"I hope that the FCC will ensure that corporate interests stay out of
newsrooms so that the American public can be on the receiving end of
journalism, not direct or indirect corporate promotion ... Any further
consolidation of newsrooms and attacks on journalists would be contrary
to the best interests of the public."
--
Greg Williams
K4HSM
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.twiar.org
http://www.etskywarn.net
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 01:08:52 -0600
From: Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] RIAA Admits ISPs Have Misidentified "John Does"
To: Media-News <medianews@twiar.org>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
RIAA Admits ISPs Have Misidentified "John Does"
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/13/1833245
Posted by kdawson on Tuesday February 13, @02:45PM
from the record-keeping dept.
The Courts Music
NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "The RIAA has sent out a letter to the ISPs
telling them to stop making mistakes in identifying subscribers, and
offering a 'Pre-Doe settlement option' ? with a discount of '$1000 or
more' ? to their subscribers, if and only if the ISP agrees to preserve
its logs for 180 days. Other interesting points in the letter (PDF): the
RIAA will be launching a web site for 'early settlements,'
www.p2plawsuits.com; the letter asks the ISPs to notify the RIAA if they
have previously 'misidentified a subscriber account in response to a
subpoena' or become aware of 'technical information... that causes you
to question the information that you provided in response to our
clients' subpoena'; it notes that ISPs have identified 'John Does' who
were not even subscribers of the ISP at the time of the infringement;
and it requests that ISPs furnish their underlying log files, not just
names and addresses, when responding to RIAA subpoenas."
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:16:08 -0600
From: George Antunes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] EarthLink is selected as Houston's WiFi provider
To: medianews@twiar.org
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Message-ID:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed
Feb. 13, 2007, 6:40PM
EarthLink is selected as Houston's WiFi provider
By ALEXIS GRANT and MATT STILES
Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4548696.html
----------------------[BOXED FEATURE]-------------------------------
UNWIRED
Texas cities with public wireless Internet systems operating or planned
? Operating citywide: Addison, Corpus Christi, Granbury, Linden, Southlake
? Operating in "hot zones" only: Richardson, San Antonio
? Under construction or contracts pending : Burleson, Farmers Branch,
Houston, Plano, Richardson (extending service)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The city disclosed today that it has chosen Atlanta-based EarthLink
Municipal Networks to provide a citywide, wireless Internet network within
the next two years.
An official announcement was scheduled for a 4 p.m. news conference today,
but the city sent out a premature news release announcing its selection.
While the agreement with EarthLink still needs City Council approval, its
terms put Houston in line to have the largest such network in North
America, covering nearly all of the city's 600 square miles by spring of
2009, White told the Chronicle.
Some low-income residents could get subsidized access for as little as $10
a month, and most customers would pay less than they do now.
"This is a very important initiative for Houston as it will bring the
consumer cost of broadband down significantly and already has,'' said Mayor
Bill White in the news release. "It will provide a scarce resource to help
our low-income households have access, benefiting students at home, helping
telecommuters for whom childcare or transportation creates limitations, and
benefiting telemedicine in the future. Houston's workforce will be more
productive.''
Ever since the competition was narrowed to two companies several months
ago, industry observers have said contracting with EarthLink would be less
risky for the city. Working under its parent company, Internet service
provider EarthLink, the vendor already has taken on several similar
projects in other cities, though all cover much smaller geographical areas
than Houston.
"EarthLink has the track record," said Craig Settles, a municipal wireless
consultant. "They are a very competent business and provider, and I think
that given the size of Houston, this is a good choice."
The other finalist, Convergent Broadband, is a local consortium that was
created recently by former Reliant Energy CEO Don Jordan, mainly to bid on
the Houston project.
"Mayor White has made his goals for wireless broadband pretty clear: make
City Hall more efficient and responsive and improve both the city's
business climate and residents' quality of life," said Donald Berryman,
executive vice president of EarthLink and president of its Municipal
Networks Unit. "Our Wi-Fi networks give consumers an affordable and
portable broadband Internet connection anytime, or any place, throughout
the city.''
The City Council could consider the agreement later this month, but the
panel often delays votes on significant city contracts.
Some cities have used tax money to install wireless networks, but under the
city's plan the contractor would pay to build the network, earning a return
on its investment by selling access and advertising.
What it will cost
The agreement sets a wholesale rate of $12 per subscriber per month, which
the builder of the network would sell to various Internet service
providers, White said. Those ISPs would add a profit margin to the base
price and sell access to residents and businesses.
White has said previously that he hoped to cut average cost of high-speed
Internet access in half, though he did not state a specific figure.
High-speed cable connections now cost about $45 a month, while DSL ranges
from $15 to $35 depending upon its speed.
Access would be even cheaper for about 40,000 low-income residents, perhaps
including students and the elderly, whose price would be based on a
$10-per-month wholesale rate, White said.
The contract calls for the city eventually to receive a 3 percent cut of
the revenue from the wireless system, and some of that would be used to
provide reduced rates for low-income residents, White said.
Public opinion sought
White has touted that as a way to bridge the divide between the technology
haves and have-nots. Exactly who would be eligible has not been determined,
White said.
He plans to seek public opinion on that topic and on how low-income
residents can get computers and other hardware necessary to use the network.
The agreement calls for free access in some public places, including parks
and libraries, and a discounted rate to the city for its government
facilities, White said.
Some limited government advocates say the development of wireless Internet
should be left entirely to private enterprise.
White argues, however, that a public-private partnership gives vendors
incentive to invest in the project and ensures the service is extended to
all parts of town.
"We will require that no neighborhood be left behind for income reasons,"
White said. Some areas might not have access for technical reasons, he said.
Networks in other cities have been criticized for spotty coverage and weak
signals. Because wireless beams often can't transmit signals through
buildings, customers accessing networks indoors sometimes need transmitters
inside their residence or business.
Another drawback to citywide networks is that they can provide cover for
online criminals, because there's no way to track their activity to
specific locations.
================================
George Antunes, Political Science Dept
University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204
Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927
antunes at uh dot edu
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 14:19:32 -0600
From: George Antunes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] Houston: With EarthLink selected, plan zooms to
council
To: medianews@twiar.org
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Message-ID:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed
Feb. 14, 2007, 9:58AM
No lags in city's plan to go wireless
With EarthLink selected, plan zooms to council
By ALEXIS GRANT and MATT STILES
Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4552151.html
---------------------------------------------[BOXED
FEATURE]------------------------------
CASTING A WIDE NET
At 600 square miles, Houston's wireless network would be bigger than all of
EarthLink's existing projects combined. Here's where else the company is
working and the size (in square miles) of the networks:
? Completed: New Orleans, 20; Milpitas, Calif., 13
? Under construction: Anaheim, Calif., 49; Philadelphia, 135; Alexandria,
Va., 16
? Negotiating contract: Pasadena, Calif., 26; San Francisco, 50; Atlanta, 90
Sources: EarthLink Municipal Networks; EarthLink Inc. Web site
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After announcing Tuesday that Internet service provider EarthLink has been
selected to build the city's wireless network, Mayor Bill White wasted no
time moving toward the next step ? City Council approval.
The contract, which calls for EarthLink to invest nearly $60 million to
build a network that would span Houston's 600 square miles, already is on
the Thursday agenda of a council committee.
"We have our marching orders set out by the mayor: get done very quickly,"
said Don Berryman, president of EarthLink Municipal Networks, who joined
White at a Tuesday afternoon news conference. "We intend to meet that."
White set a goal completion date of spring 2009, when he expects residents
and businesses to have low-cost, high-speed access to the Internet as
alternatives to existing cable and DSL lines.
"Houstonians can look forward to a future in which we have better
technology to create better jobs for our citizens, attract jobs for the
future to our city, bridge the digital divide that will lift people up
educationally in our community, to put us at the forefront of leadership in
this nation," White said.
Approval expected
EarthLink's monthly rate would be about $22 for subscribers, Berryman said.
That's based on the $12-per-month-per-subscriber wholesale rate the company
has agreed to sell to Internet service providers. Any provider could access
the network for that price, then sell service to consumers at a profit.
EarthLink, too, would provide retail service.
Existing DSL service in Houston ranges from $15-$35 a month depending upon
its speed, and cable broadband is about $45.
Richard Lewis, the city's information technology director who helped broker
the agreement with EarthLink, is scheduled to give more details to the
Transportation, Infrastructure and Aviation Committee Thursday.
Committee chairman Michael Berry said he expects the council to approve the
contract, partly because White was personally involved in vendor selection.
"It certainly adds a degree of accountability, because we're not relying on
a department director or a mid-level bureaucrat and their negotiations," he
said. "The mayor played hardball with them, and so I think what we end up
with will be very pro-consumer."
EarthLink would pay for the project without using tax dollars, allow 40,000
low-income residents to access the Internet for as little as $10 per month
and provide free access in parks and libraries. The city would eventually
receive 3 percent of the revenue from the system, which it would use to
subsidize costs of providing that discounted access.
Local competitor loses
The city awarded the contract to EarthLink rather than its local
competitor, Convergent Broadband, because EarthLink offered more dependable
financing, more experience and a higher number of discounted accounts,
White said in a memo to City Council members. EarthLink also agreed to
start building the project as soon as the council approves its initial
terms, before a formal agreement is signed.
Don Jordan, founder of Convergent, said he has no plans to challenge the
city's decision.
"We worked hard and would have liked to be selected, but we know the city
did a thorough job in terms of analyzing all the possibilities," said
Jordan, former CEO of Reliant Energy.
The service likely would not be available in enclave cities, White said.
"We haven't made contracts for, or committed assets in, and we wouldn't
specify a service level for an incorporated area within the city," he said.
"I assume that other incorporated areas in and around Houston will be
looking at WiFi technology in the future."
Officials in Bellaire have considered providing the service to residents,
but the city has no immediate plans, said City Manager Bernie Satterwhite.
"We've looked at it. We've got a lot of other priorities. It certainly is
not out of the question, of course," Satterwhite said. He added that he
hasn't ruled out contacting Houston about a relationship in the future.
Aside from gaining council approval, the project faces other challenges,
Berryman said. The company hopes to lease the rooftops on various buildings
to mount equipment. White is helping get property owners on board, offering
a lease price of up to $1,200 per month.
EarthLink has completed or is building municipal networks in several
cities, but none nearly as large as Houston. In Philadelphia, where the
company expects to cover 135 square miles, it got solid reviews from Greg
Goldman, CEO of Wireless Philadelphia, the nonprofit that has partnered
with EarthLink for the build-out.
================================
George Antunes, Political Science Dept
University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204
Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927
antunes at uh dot edu
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:43:47 -0600
From: Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] NY, Calif more likely identity theft targets:
study
To: Media-News <medianews@twiar.org>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
NY, Calif more likely identity theft targets: study
By Jonathan Stempel
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070214/tc_nm/identitytheft_study_dc_2
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Yorkers, especially around New York City, and
Californians, especially around Los Angeles, are more likely to be
targets of identity theft, according to a new study.
The study released Wednesday by ID Analytics Inc., a San Diego fraud
security firm, found that New York, California and Nevada have the
highest incidence of attempted identity theft, while Wyoming, Vermont
and Montana have the lowest rates.
Three other Western states ranked in the top 10 in fraud attempts:
Arizona (4), Oregon (7) and Washington (9).
Among states with large populations, Illinois ranked 5th, Michigan 8th,
Texas 10th, New Jersey 12th, Florida 14th, Pennsylvania 36th, and Ohio 46th.
Urban areas had higher fraud rates because larger populations make it
easier for criminals to "operate under the radar," according to Stephen
Coggeshall, chief technology officer at ID Analytics.
"With respect to income," he added, "(fraud) rates are elevated at the
high and low income ranges, and lower in middle income levels. In New
York, for example, that could help explain some rates, and why there
appear to be 'pockets' of fraud."
The study was released two weeks after Javelin Strategy & Research, a
Pleasanton, California firm, said identity theft cost Americans $49.3
billion last year, an 11.5 percent drop that might reflect increased
vigilance.
It said people with incomes above $150,000 were among those most at risk.
ID Analytics studied incidents from January 2003 to June 2006, including
attempted thefts as well as reported crimes, using data collected from
clients and public sources.
It said 10 percent to 15 percent of fraud attempts involve stolen
identities of actual consumers, while the balance involved criminals
creating identities with real and false data.
According to the study, Manhattan residents with zip codes beginning
with "100" were four times as likely to be targeted. Next were Brooklyn,
New York residents with 112 codes, and Detroit residents with 482 codes.
The next four zip codes were in the Bronx, Manhattan and Nassau County,
New York, followed by the 948 code in Contra Costa County, near San
Francisco, and Los Angeles' 900 code.
Of the top 50 codes, two-thirds were in New York and California.
Some findings appeared unusual.
The fraud rate in one zip code for Floral Park, New York was 63.3 times
the national average, which Coggeshall attributed to an unexplained
surge in 2005.
That rate dwarfed the next highest rate, 12.3 times the national
average, in the zip code for Faulkton, South Dakota -- population 703.
Coggeshall said the data suggested that for consumers, "it's important
to be aware of your general level of identity risk."
Experts urge consumers not to divulge personal data in response to
unsolicited communications. They also recommend consumers notify
financial services providers and file fraud alerts with credit bureaus
if they suspect identity theft.
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:44:33 -0600
From: Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] IBM says new technology can triple data storage:
report
To: Media-News <medianews@twiar.org>, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
IBM says new technology can triple data storage: report
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070214/tc_nm/ibm_chip_dc_2
NEW YORK (Reuters) - IBM says it is developing new circuitry that could
triple the data stored on a typical microprocessor, and thereby double
the performance of computers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
The computer maker's approach is based on exploiting the most widely
used memory technology in a new way, the paper said.
IBM researchers will discuss their progress at a conference in San
Francisco on Wednesday, the paper said.
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:45:49 -0600
From: Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] Microsoft warns of six "critical" security flaws
To: Media-News <medianews@twiar.org>, Nicole Fiedler
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Microsoft warns of six "critical" security flaws
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070213/tc_nm/microsoft_patches_dc_1
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) issued
six "critical" security patches on Tuesday to fix flaws in its software
products that the company warned could allow attackers to take control
of a user's computer.
Microsoft, whose Windows operating system runs on more than 95 percent
of the world's computers, issued the patches as part of its monthly
security bulletin. There were no patches issued in the update for the
newest version of Windows, called Vista.
Microsoft made Vista available to consumers in January after five years
of development and a number of delays to improve security. The company
says the new operating system is the most secure Windows program ever.
Microsoft defines a flaw as "critical" when the vulnerability could
allow a damaging Internet worm to replicate without the user doing
anything to the machine.
The world's biggest software maker said the critical flaws affected
versions of its Windows, Office, Works, Internet Explorer and Microsoft
Malware Protection Engine products. It rated the other holes at its
lower threat level of "important."
The company has been working to improve the security and reliability of
its software as more and more malicious software target weaknesses in
Windows and other Microsoft software.
The latest patches can be downloaded at www.microsoft.com/security.
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:46:48 -0600
From: Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] Is that really what your email meant to say?
To: Media-News <medianews@twiar.org>, Nicole Fiedler
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Is that really what your email meant to say?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070214/wr_nm/email_confusion_dc_2
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billions of emails are sent around the globe each
day but are their true meanings getting across? Maybe not.
Although emails are quick and easy to send, their lack of facial cues,
body language and emotional feedback mean they can be easily misinterpreted.
Kristin Byron, of the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse
University in New York, believes that many email users could be sending
and getting mixed messages in emails.
"A first step toward improving accuracy in emails is to recognize the
possibility that we are fallible as both email senders and receivers,"
said Byron who is an assistant professor of management at the university.
"People make the assumption that emails are very clear but that is just
not the case. There are a lot of misunderstandings," she added in an
interview.
One of the main points of confusion is that people forget that emotions
can be communicated in email. While facial expressions can be easy to
read, there aren't the same clear signals in emails.
Misinterpreted emails could be a particular minefield in the workplace
with co-workers perceiving emotional content in the email that may not
be intended.
Emotions can be expressed in emails through punctuation marks and other
techniques but that can confuse the message even more, according to
Byron who will report her findings in the journal Academy of Management
Review.
"The use of exclamation points, asterisks, or capital letters, the
length of the message, even the use of emoticons all can be used or
perceived to communicate emotion. Yet these are ambiguous in email
communication -- and are often discouraged from use in the workplace --
and therefore may be misinterpreted," she said.
Emoticons are symbols such as smiling faces or characters on keyboards
used in emails to show emotion.
To improve email communication and lower the risk of sending the wrong
signals Byron suggests email users express themselves clearly and repeat
important information they want to convey.
Companies might also consider offering training in the use of emails at
work.
"With the increasing reliance on emails in the workplace, understanding
how to effectively communicate emotions by email is crucial," Byron added.
------------------------------
Message: 9
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:47:35 -0600
From: Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] New fronts in Microsoft security battle
To: Media-News <medianews@twiar.org>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
New fronts in Microsoft security battle
By BRIAN BERGSTEIN, AP Technology Writer
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070214/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_security_2
"Patch Tuesday," when Microsoft Corp. releases repairs for problems in
its software, came and went this week with six critical fixes ?
including the first one that touches Vista, the new operating system
billed as the most secure Windows version yet.
The hole registers high on the irony scale: The flaw was in a "malware
protection engine" that helps several Microsoft security products ?
including "Windows Defender" for Vista ? guard against online threats.
The problem could let an outsider "take complete control" of a victim's
computer, according to Microsoft's security advisory.
This isn't to say that Vista had previously appeared clean. Already a
few vulnerabilities have popped up ? including a remarkably low-tech hack.
In that case, security researchers noted a problem with Vista's improved
speech-recognition system, which lets people speak commands to the
computer. It turns out that sounds played over the PC's speakers ? on a
malicious Web site configured for this very purpose, for example ? can
trigger Vista's speech-recognition engine and execute commands on a
victim's computer.
Mark Griesi, a security manager at Microsoft, acknowledged that the
company was investigating the vulnerability, but said it was unaware of
any attacks that exploited it.
There are many factors reducing the likelihood of such an attack. A
victim would need to have activated speech-recognition ? and have the
PC's microphone and speakers on. And if anything suspicious like "delete
all data" were coming through, the user could just shut the sound off.
Still, some observers said Microsoft could have installed protections
that would have prevented any problem. That's not what the company wants
to hear as it touts ? legitimately, in the eyes of many analysts ?
"fundamental architectural changes" in the name of computer security.
Joanna Rutkowska, a security researcher for COSEINC, a Singapore-based
tech-services company, initially had high praise for Vista. But she said
subsequent exploration revealed troubling weaknesses ? even in features
that are supposed to enhance Vista's security.
After Rutkowska pointed out such issues, a Microsoft security manager
wrote on his blog that Vista had intentionally made accommodations for
user convenience and making sure applications worked properly ? and that
those decisions did not amount to "security bugs."
Rutkowska replied that she now wondered whether Vista's security model
was "a big joke." In an e-mail interview Wednesday, she wrote that she
still believed Vista could successfully raise the security bar, "but
only if Microsoft changes its attitude."
"Even though there are some flaws in it currently ... they could be
fixed over time, if Microsoft put enough effort in doing this," she
wrote. Otherwise, "in a couple of months the security of Vista (from the
typical malware's point of view) will be equal to the security of
current XP systems."
------------------------------
Message: 10
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:48:33 -0600
From: Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] New plugged-in toys follow kids online
To: Media-News <medianews@twiar.org>, Nicole Fiedler
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
New plugged-in toys follow kids online
By ANNE D'INNOCENZIO, AP Business Writer
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070214/ap_on_hi_te/toy_fair_internet_2
NEW YORK - As kids keep getting plugged into the Internet, toy makers
are following them online.
At the annual American International Toy Fair this week, toy makers
showed playthings like Power Rangers helmets which store secret missions
found online, plenty of online games and even devices that take kids to
secure Web sites where they can play activities without wandering into
the darker corners of the Internet.
"Toy companies are looking at where kids are playing and targeting
product against it. Younger and younger kids are becoming more
comfortable with the Internet," said New York-based toy consultant Chris
Byrne.
Children as young as three years old are using the computer, said Julia
Fitzgerald, vice president of marketing at VTech Holdings Ltd.
The company showcased the Whiz Kid Learning System, a learning pad that
comes with an USB drive to connect to the computer, enabling books and
activities to come to life. The system also has an icon button on the
computer screen which children can click onto, connecting them to an
online site for more games and activities.
VTech launched the popular V.Smile learning system in 2004 and followed
with a portable handheld version to capitalize on video games, so it was
time to come out with a learning system that would connect to the
computer, she said.
"We have become a download nation," said Fitzgerald, noting that
children are constantly downloading music to their digital music players.
According to Nielsen/Net Ratings Inc., an Internet research company, the
number of online users in the 2-to-11 age group rose 19 percent to 15.1
million in December 2006, from 12.6 million in December 2002.
The latest strategy comes as the nation's toy industry has been under
pressure to bring back children bombarded with other entertainment
options from iPods, cellphones and online community sites.
Toy companies are looking online to make even traditional stuffed
animals look modern. For example, MGA Entertainment Inc., the maker of
Bratz dolls, unveiled Web-Pups under its Rescue Pets brand. The plush
dogs come with registration codes that children input onto the site
Web-pubs.com to access games and activities.
Neil Friedman, president of Mattel's Mattel brands division, said new
security technology is helping to fuel interest in these toys. Mattel's
Fisher-Price brand is showcasing Easy-Link Internet Launchpad, where
parents can plug a character figure like Elmo and be taken directly to
the game section of the character's Web site like sesamestreet.com.
Hasbro Inc.'s Tiger Games division is also marketing Net Jet, a game
system that offers preteens 40 online games with titles such as "Super
Soaker" and "Mission Paintball." It features a controller that children
plug into the computer's USB port and unlock by inserting game keys that
instantly launch them into the online game experience of their choice.
Gail Carvelli, a spokeswoman at Hasbro, said that one of the big
benefits in offering these online games is that Hasbro can enhance and
update the games without asking parents to buy new ones.
The games and activities have to be compelling enough for parents to pay
for them, or they'll resort to a slew of free online sites available,
stressed Stephanie Oppenheim, publisher of Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, an
independent guide to toys and other media.
Security will also be a key issue, Oppenheim noted; parents will need to
feel safe that children can't get around the game system and venture
elsewhere. Hasbro's Carvelli noted that with Net Jet, when a child
unplugs the controller from the USB drive, the user automatically gets
kicked offline.
These Internet-based toys are cost-effective, Byrne noted.
"It makes it possible to refresh the product without coming up with a
new toy," he said. That helps keep children interested without having to
keep investing in creating a new product, Byrne noted.
Whiz Kid's learning books from VTech, for example, have about 40
different pages of content, featuring 120 learning activities, but users
can access far more material online.
Industry executives say they are not just adding technology to their
toys; they are using the Web to enhance children's favorite play
patterns, from acting out their favorite hero's roles to personalizing
information.
Bandai America, maker of the virtual pet Tamagotchi, has been aggressive
in this area, reaching out to both boys and girls. At the trade show, it
introduced Girlz Connect's Destiny, a personal game player that
downloads material from http://www.girlzconnect.com, to tap into preteen
girls' penchant for sharing quizzes and personalizing information online
with friends. With Bandai's Power Rangers Mega Mission Helmet, kids
download three-minute secret missions directly from the company's Web
site http://www.bandai.com and act out the action.
As for Tamagotchi, Bandai is making the virtual pet more interactive on
the TamagotchiTown.com site, enabling the user to control the future of
their favorite character by using special passwords. Consumers can also
buy a PC pack that allows children to interact with the characters on
screen through games and other activities.
"We just wanted to spice it up," said Colleen W. Sherfey, director of
marketing at Bandai America.
------------------------------
Message: 11
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:49:17 -0600
From: Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] Microsoft Launches New DRM, Bloggers Up In Arms
To: Media-News <medianews@twiar.org>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Microsoft Launches New DRM, Bloggers Up In Arms
By Antone Gonsalves
InformationWeek
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20070214/tc_cmp/197005902
Despite the growing support on the Internet for a DRM-free world,
Microsoft has unveiled a new copyright-protection system for mobile devices.
The software maker's announcement on Monday that PlayReady for handsets
and mobile devices would be available in the first half of this year was
unwelcome news for DRM critics, but apparently had the support of some
carriers. In unveiling the technology at the 3GSM World Congress 2007,
Microsoft said supporters included Verizon Wireless, Cingular Wireless
and its new owner AT&T.
DRM, or digital rights management, is technology that control the terms
in which content downloaded from the Internet can be copied or
transferred to other devices. DRM is meant to combat piracy, but critics
claim its fails to stop crooks, while making it overly difficult, if not
impossible, for consumers to play the music or video they buy on any
device they want.
Microsoft PlayReady joins other DRM technologies developed by the
software maker, including PlayForSure, which is used by manufacturers of
portable music players, with the exception of Apple. Microsoft also has
its own DRM system in its Zune player, which competes with the Apple
iPod. The latter uses Apple's proprietary DRM called FairPlay.
If all that sounds confusing, then it's understandable why popular tech
bloggers are against Microsoft's latest technology, as well as DRM in
general. "We don't need any more DRM at this point in time,"
CrunchGear's Vince Veneziani said Tuesday. "We have way too much of it
now, and it seriously has to stop."
TechDirt agreed. Under the headline, "Microsoft Announces Yet Another
DRM Nobody Really Wants," blogger Carlo doubted Microsoft's claims that
PlayReady would be compatible with devices running the company's
PlayForSure technology, called Windows Media DRM 10.
"Of course, while the company says that it will allow users to put
content on multiple devices, it will be rather difficult to get many old
devices they already own to support this new flavor of DRM, rather
undermining the claim," he said.
In claiming support for other technologies, Microsoft also said it had
launched an interoperability program open to makers of other DRM systems
and content-protection technologies. Microsoft plans to release
PlayReady as a porting kit with source code, so it can be deployed on a
mobile hardware or software platform, including low-end devices.
Optimized implementations for several popular handsets would be
available through PacketVideo, a mobile-phone software maker.
While DRM critics were unhappy with Microsoft's announcement, carriers
and content providers may feel differently, Mike McGuire, analyst for
Gartner, said. A vendor as large as Microsoft can introduce technology
that could eventually become a de facto standard that most content
providers and wireless carriers could rally around in the mobile space.
Such a technology could make life easier for the industry, and wouldn't
necessarily upset consumers, if the DRM implemented usage rules that did
not get in the way of legitimate use of content.
If the DRM system fails, however, carriers would mostly likely suffer
from any consumer backlash, since the wireless operator is the most
visible "The consumer picks the first target and blows it up," McGuire
said. "It's the carrier that will pay the price."
PlayReady would be able to copy-protect music, video, games, ring tones
and images downloaded to a mobile device. It would support a variety of
file formats, including Windows Media Audio, AC/AAC+/HE-AAC, Windows
Media Video, and H.264. Other wireless carriers supporting the
technology include European carriers Telefnica, O2, and Bouygues Telecom.
Microsoft unveiled PlayReady a week after Apple Chief Executive
Steve Jobs called for an end to the use of DRM for online music
downloads, siding with critics who claim the misuse of the technology by
record companies is holding back the sale of music downloads. Jobs'
stance was denounced by the record industry, which called on Jobs to
license Apple FairPlay, which Jobs refuses to do.
------------------------------
Message: 12
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:49:59 -0600
From: Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] Music Exec Rebuts Apple's Critique of DRM
To: Media-News <medianews@twiar.org>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Music Exec Rebuts Apple's Critique of DRM
Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service
http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20070214/tc_pcworld/129022
The head of Warner Music Group defended the use of digital rights
management (DRM) with digital music on Wednesday in an apparent response
to recent criticismfrom Apple CEO
Steve Jobs.
Jobs roiled the music industry last week by suggesting in a letter
published on Apple's Web site that the music labels are to blame for the
fact that music from Apple's iTunes music store can only be played on
Apple's iPod music players--something Apple has been criticized for.
"DRM and interoperability are not the same thing," Edgar Bronfman Jr.,
chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group, said in a speech at the 3GSM
World Congress in Barcelona on Wednesday.
"We believe in interoperability," he said. "Consumers want it and should
have it. We at Warner, and I hope the rest of the music and content
industry, will make it as easy as possible to achieve interoperability."
Jobs said last week that Apple uses a proprietary DRM system because the
music industry requires it to fix any failures in the technology in a
short amount of time. If Apple shared its DRM technology it would not be
able to meet that requirement, he said.
Bronfman did not mention Jobs or Apple by name but his remarks appeared
to be in response to the criticism. He had responded immediately to
Jobs' comments when they were posted last week.
Apple has come under fire, particularly in Europe, for its DRM
technology, which ties its music stores to its players. Apple isn't
alone, however. Microsoft and Sony also operate digital music stores
that require customers to play the music only on their own music players.
iTunes is the biggest digital music store, however, and the second
largest, eMusic.com, only sells music that has no DRM.
Jobs also wrote that he would prefer to sell music without any DRM
protection.
That's a concept Bronfman doesn't think is up for discussion.
"I don't agree that intellectual property should have no protection. We
should all agree that intellectual property deserves some measure of
protection," he said. "But that is distinct from the issue around
interoperability."
Today's music protection environment isn't ideal, Bronfman admitted.
"There can't be so much protection that we create a poor consumer
experience. We need to work to find perhaps a better balance than works
today."
------------------------------
Message: 13
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:50:48 -0600
From: Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] New Hack Simplifies HD Video Copying
To: Media-News <medianews@twiar.org>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
New Hack Simplifies HD Video Copying
Robert McMillan, IDG News Service
http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20070214/tc_pcworld/129027
A hacker claims to have discovered a cryptographic key that can be used
to circumvent copy restrictions on HD DVD and Blu-ray movies.
The key, which was published Sunday on the Doom9.org discussion forum,
is a further step toward undermining the next-generation AACS (Advanced
Access Content System) encryption system used to copy-protect
high-definition media.
The hacker, going by the name of Arnezami, said he discovered the key by
examining what was happening in his computer's memory while it processed
an HD DVD video.
A spokeswoman for the group that sets the AACS specification, called the
AACS Licensing Administrator, said Arnezami's claims were being
investigated but declined to provide further comment.
In late December, a different hacker, named Muslix64, posted a software
program that could decrypt high-definition movies. Users needed to first
enter another type of encryption key, called the "volume key," for the
software to work. More than 100 of these volume keys have since popped
up, allowing users to freely copy such films as King Kong, Mission:
Impossible and Jarhead.
The publication of this latest key, called a processing key, gives users
a much easier way to figure out the volume keys they need in order to
make movie copies with the HDDVDBackup software, according to Arnezami.
Introduced in April 2005, AACS is supported by media and technology
companies such as Microsoft Corp., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.
Ltd. (Panasonic), Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news)., Toshiba Corp., The Walt
Disney Co. and Warner Bros.
The encryption system is designed to be more robust than the CSS
(content scrambling system) encryption scheme used by DVDs, which was
completely cracked in late 1999.
------------------------------
Message: 14
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:52:04 -0600
From: Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] Microsoft settles Iowa antitrust case
To: Media-News <medianews@twiar.org>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Microsoft settles Iowa antitrust case
Ben Ames
http://news.yahoo.com/s/infoworld/20070214/tc_infoworld/86082_1
San Francisco (IDGNS) - Microsoft has agreed to settle a multimillion
dollar lawsuit brought by thousands of Iowa consumers and businesses who
say the company's anticompetitive practices forced them to pay inflated
prices for software including Microsoft's Windows, Word and Excel.
Seven years after it was filed, the class-action suit finally began on
Dec. 1 in a Des Moines, Iowa, courtroom. Microsoft agreed to settle
before the jury reached a verdict. Neither the company nor the
plaintiffs' law firm announced the amount that Microsoft agreed to pay,
but the suit had originally asked for $329 million in damages.
In a statement, Microsoft said the terms of the settlement would not be
disclosed until judges approve the agreement during hearings in April
and August. The case covers Iowa residents who bought certain OS and
application software between May 18, 1994, and June 30, 2006.
Microsoft also agreed to pay half of any unclaimed proceeds to the Iowa
Department of Education, to be used for bridging the digital and
technical divide in Iowa schools through the purchase of computer
hardware and software, according to a statement by Rich Wallis,
associate general counsel for Microsoft.
Customers across the U.S. filed dozens of antitrust class-action suits
against Microsoft, but this was only the second one to go to trial,
according to a statement by the plaintiffs' law firm, Zelle, Hofmann,
Voelbel, Mason and Gette. Microsoft also agree to settle a Minnesota
case for $182 million before it reached a verdict.
In 2001, Microsoft agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S.
Department of Justice and the attorneys general for 19 states, the
company said. Microsoft has also reached settlements with three more
state governments. Whereas all those cases alleged that Microsoft harmed
competition by including certain applications in its OS (thus
essentially barring other software vendors from the market), the Iowa
and Minnesota cases allege that Microsoft used its enormous market share
to overcharge consumers. The only remaining private class-action lawsuit
of that type is in Mississippi, according to Microsoft.
Microsoft has denied overcharging those customers.
"During our opening this week, we showed the real reasons for
Microsoft's success. We demonstrated that the plaintiffs' core
allegations in this case are decades old, long resolved and have no
impact on the issues in this case," Wallis said when the Iowa case
opened in December.
"The majority of the plaintiffs' claims predate the class period in this
case. The allegations that came afterward were addressed by the
government case eight years ago. Microsoft accepted responsibility,
changed its practices, and to this day we continue to live and work
under a consent decree."
The Microsoft operating systems covered in this case include MS-DOS,
Windows 95,
Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition,
Windows Millennium Edition, Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT Workstation,
Windows 2000 and
Windows XP. The applications include Word, Excel and Office versions
designed for computers with the above MS-DOS or Windows operating systems.
------------------------------
Message: 15
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:53:39 -0600
From: Rob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Medianews] Vista Will Have Little Impact on Mac Sales:
Analyst
To: Media-News <medianews@twiar.org>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Vista Will Have Little Impact on Mac Sales: Analyst
Scott Ferguson - eWEEK
http://news.yahoo.com/s/zd/20070214/tc_zd/201123
While the launch of Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system will
drive consumer PC sales in the coming months, the operating system's
impact on sales of Apple's
Macintosh are expected to be minimal, according to a recent report.
In a Feb. 14 research report, Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper
Jaffray, surveyed 50 Best Buy retail stores and found that while the
launch of the consumer version of Vista in January has driven buyers to
look at new PCs, it does not appear this will affect Mac sales.
Of the 50 stores surveyed, 72 percent told Munster that Vista was
driving an interest in new PCs, while only 29 percent said it wasn't.
However, 80 percent of stores reported selling less Vista operating
systems than anticipated.
However, Munster cautions that if buyers stick with buying
Microsoft-based PCs, it could have an impact on Mac sales during the
second quarter of this year. Mac's share of the market, according to the
report, is expected to slide from 2.5 percent to 2.3 percent by the
second quarter.
"Due to pent-up demand for PCs with Vista preinstalled, we anticipate a
spike in PC sales during the Mar-07 quarter, which could put downward
pressure on Mac market share," Munster wrote.
There also is a strong possibility that the renewed interest in
purchasing a PC, especially a notebook, could lead consumers to consider
a Mac as an alternative to a Windows-based computer.
"We also believe that widespread computer upgrades could lead consumers
to evaluate their options, which may allow Apple to sway buyers toward
the Mac platform," Munster wrote.
Click here to read more about the latest in the Apple vs. Cisco Systems
showdown over the iPhone name.
"Long term, we are confident that Mac market share will rise; as the PC
market shifts toward portables, Apple's market share will benefit from
higher share in this category," Munster added.
By looking at Best Buy stores, Munster decided to examine the impact
Vista will have on consumers, as well as small and midsized businesses
that buy only a limited number of computers at a time. This has a direct
impact on the majority of Mac users, who are generally consumers and
creative professionals, although the company does have a strong presence
in the education market.
The survey does not address how Vista will affect the enterprise market.
Several analysts have predicted that IT administrators will be slow to
adopt Vista as they conduct more rigorous tests on the OS in the coming
year. It might take until the end of the decade for most large
enterprises to adopt Vista, but consumers and SMBs are expected to adopt
the OS much sooner.
Apple has moved away from the enterprise market to concentrate more on
consumer electronics, such as the iPhone and the iPod, and its hard-core
group of professional users such as graphic designers.
This strategy, plus a "halo" effect, has helped Apple's Mac sales as
some people look for an alternative to Windows-based PCs.
According to recent reports of PC sales by IDC and Gartner, Apple
accounts for only about 5 percent of the U.S. computer market, but the
company watched its market share grow by 30 percent in 2006, which
outstripped the rest of the industry. Industry watchers believe the
company's switch to Intel processors helped it sell more PCs, although
the company reported flat sales in the fourth quarter of 2006.
Click here to read more about how the Mac, despite losing some market
share, is still a winner for Apple.
The one variable in the Mac versus PC question will likely be answered
in the coming weeks as Apple prepares to launch its new Mac
OS X 10.5, "Leopard." So far, Apple has been appealing to users by
showing that many of the same features found on Vista have already been
available in the Mac OS X 10.4, code-named Tiger, and that its OS
remains much easier to install and use.
According to Munster's historical analysis, Apple shipped about 2
million copies of Mac OS X 10.4 when it was released in April 2005. In
that first year of its availability, the company had shipped about 7
million copies of its OS.
Since that time, the report suggests that the number of Mac operating
systems installed has grown from 16 million to approximately 20 million.
This could mean that about 40 percent of current Mac users will upgrade
to the new OS when it's released in the spring.
Apple has been silent about when it will release Leopard, although
Munster anticipates a late-April launch.
These numbers suggest, according to the report, that Apple could ship
about 2.6 million copies of the OS in its first month of availability,
and the company could realize a windfall of $130 million in sales
revenue. This also could mean about 9 million copies of Leopard could be
in circulation by year's end.
"With the release of Leopard, Mac market share will benefit from upward
pressure from slight pent-up demand," Munster wrote. "Moreover, with the
release of Leopard, investors will shift their focus back on the Mac
chapter of the Apple story."
Check out eweek.com's Macintosh Center for the latest news, reviews and
analysis on Apple in the enterprise.
------------------------------
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