http://articles.bluepec.com en-us info@bluepec.com Communications firms are being asked to record all internet contacts between people as part of a modernisation in UK police surveillance tactics. The home secretary scrapped plans for a database but wants details to be held and organised for security services. The new system would track all e-mails, phone calls and internet use, including visits to social network sites. Ministers say police need new tools to fight crime but opposition MPs and campaigners have raised privacy fears. Ann http://articles.bluepec.com/plan-to-monitor-all-internet-use_92.html 27-04-2009 The number of viruses, worms and trojans in circulation has topped the one million mark. The new high for malicious programs was revealed by security firm Symantec in the latest edition of its bi-annual Internet Security Threat Report. The vast majority of these programs have been created in the last twelve months, said Symantec. Cyber criminals pump out malware to fool anti-virus programs which look for characteristics they have already seen. Money game The latest edition of the Symantec http://articles.bluepec.com/computer-viruses-hit-one-million_88.html 17-04-2009 A study into spam has blamed it for the production of more than 33bn kilowatt-hours of energy every year, enough to power more than 2.4m homes. The Carbon Footprint of e-mail Spam report estimated that 62 trillion spam emails are sent globally every year. This amounted to emissions of more than 17 million tons of CO2, the research by climate consultants ICF International and anti-virus firm McAfee found. Searching for legitimate e-mails and deleting spam used some 80% of energy. The study http://articles.bluepec.com/spam-produces-17m-tons-of-co2_87.html 17-04-2009 A court in Sweden has jailed four men behind The Pirate Bay (TPB), the world's most high-profile file-sharing website, in a landmark case. Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde were found guilty of breaking copyright law and were sentenced to a year in jail. They were also ordered to pay $4.5m (£3m) in damages. Record companies welcomed the verdict but the men are to appeal and Sunde said they would refuse to pay the fine. Speaking at an online press confer http://articles.bluepec.com/court-jails-pirate-bay-founders_86.html 17-04-2009  A small British company has been named Best in Show at the South by Southwest Web Awards, in Austin, Texas. Six to Start won the top prize for We Tell Stories, an interactive approach to retelling literary classics and redefining modern online story-telling. The website held off competition from the likes of Hulu - the popular on-demand online TV site - Flickr and geo-location company BrightKite. Dan Hon, co-founder of Six to Start, said: "It's been unbelievable." He told BBC news: "We wer http://articles.bluepec.com/win-for-uk-storytelling-website_85.html 17-03-2009 Business and consumer users of Google's popular e-mail service were hit by a blackout on Tuesday. The service went offline at 0930 GMT and began to return for many users after four hours, one of the longest downtimes ever suffered by Google. More than 113 million people use Google mail worldwide, according to comScore. Google said it apologised for the inconvenience the e-mail blackout had caused its users. "We know how important GMail is to our users so we take this very seriously," it add http://articles.bluepec.com/google-users-hit-by-mail-blackout_82.html 24-02-2009   The founder of Facebook says the social network will return to its previous terms of service regarding user data. In a blog post Mark Zuckerberg said the move was temporary "while we resolve the issues that people have raised". Users had complained after new terms of service seemed to suggest Facebook would retain personal data even if someone deleted their account. Originally defending the changes, Mr Zuckerberg had said it was to better reflect how people used the site. He had said the http://articles.bluepec.com/facebook-withdraws-data-changes_81.html 18-02-2009 Half of the charges levelled at the founders of the Pirate Bay file-sharing site have been dropped. Swedish prosecutors dropped charges relating to "assisting copyright infringement" leaving the lesser charges of "assisting making available copyright material" on trial day two. Pirate Bay co-founder Frederik Neik said it showed prosecutors had misunderstood the technology. The music industry played down the changes as "simplifying the charges". Peter Danowsky, legal counsel for the music co http://articles.bluepec.com/pirate-bay-joy-at-charge-change_79.html 17-02-2009 Millions of people are leaving themselves open to identity theft when using social networking websites, according to the consumer group Which? Members of sites such as Facebook can join large networks which reveal personal information to thousands of others on the network. Which? says people are at a greater risk of being targeted by fraudsters than they think. On average, UK residents' details are held on about 700 databases. Which? says that fraudsters can use the internet to gather p http://articles.bluepec.com/personal-data-privacy-at-risk_73.html 13-02-2009       Privacy groups say widely-anticipated recommendations on how websites collect, save and share information about users don't protect the public. The Federal Trade Commission's new policies focus on targeted advertising that tracks consumer behaviour online. "The time for baby steps to protect online privacy is long passed, there need to be laws," said Jeff Chester of the Centre for Digital Democracy. "Self-regulation simply hasn't worked," he said. "The Commission is supposed to ser http://articles.bluepec.com/privacy-groups-slam-new-rules_72.html 13-02-2009       A reward of $250,000 (£172,000) has been offered by Microsoft to find who is behind the Downadup/Conficker virus. Since it started circulating in October 2008 the Conficker worm has managed to infect millions of computers worldwide. The software giant is offering the cash reward because it views the Conficker worm as a criminal attack. "People who write this malware have to be held accountable," said George Stathakopulos, of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group. He told BBC News http://articles.bluepec.com/microsoft-bounty-for-worm-creator_71.html 13-02-2009 Twitter, the mobile phone-based micro-blogging service, rocketed nearly 1000% in use in the UK over the past year according to industry analysts HitWise.For the first time, the site has seen more visits than "social bookmarking" site Digg, which allows users to share links to sites.Twitter made headlines earlier in January, providing the first pictures of downed US Airways flight 1549.The site may continue its meteoric rise as the new US President is a devotee.The Twitter site has jumped from 2, http://articles.bluepec.com/tweet-smell-of-success-over-digg_68.html 22-01-2009 A worm that spreads through low security networks, memory sticks, and PCs without the latest security updates is posing a growing threat to users. The malicious program, known as Conficker, Downadup, or Kido was first discovered in October 2008. Although Microsoft released a patch, it has gone on to infect 3.5m machines. Experts warn this figure could be far higher and say users should have up-to-date anti-virus software and install Microsoft's MS08-067 patch. According to Microsoft, the worm wo http://articles.bluepec.com/three-million-hit-by-windows-worm_65.html 16-01-2009 Two search requests on the internet website Google produce "as much carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle", according to a Harvard University academic. US physicist Alex Wissner-Gross claims that a typical Google search on a desktop computer produces about 7g CO2. However, these figures were disputed by Google, who say a typical search produced only 0.2g of carbon dioxide. A recent study by American research firm Gartner suggested that IT now causes two percent of global emissions. Dr Wissner-Gross http://articles.bluepec.com/carbon-cost-of-google-revealed_63.html 13-01-2009 The latest Windows release will be available to everyone after a surge in demand crashed the Microsoft website on 9 January, the original release date. In response, the company has lifted a planned limit on the number of copies of the Windows 7 Beta available for download. Microsoft delayed the launch by one day to add "more infrastructure and servers" to cope with demand. The unlimited download will last for two weeks, according to Microsoft. Microsoft had initially planned to restrict download http://articles.bluepec.com/windows-7-now-available-to-all_61.html 13-01-2009 The US National Security Agency has helped put together a list of the world's most dangerous coding mistakes. The 25 entry list contains errors that can lead to security holes or vulnerable areas that can be targeted by cyber criminals. Experts say many of these errors are not well understood by programmers. According to the SANS Institute in Maryland, just two of the errors led to more than 1.5m web site security breaches during 2008. It is thought that this is the first time the industry has r http://articles.bluepec.com/dangerous-coding-errors-revealed_60.html 13-01-2009 The internet was supposed to bring vast choice for customers, access to obscure and forgotten products - and a fortune for sellers who focused on niche markets. But a study of digital music sales has posed the first big challenge to this long tail theory: more than 10 million of the 13 million tracks available on the internet failed to find a single buyer last year. The idea that niche markets were the key to the future for internet sellers was described as one of the most important economic mod http://articles.bluepec.com/long-tail-theory-contradicted-as-study-reveals-10m-digital-music-tracks-unsold_59.html 22-12-2008 As you read this, audiences in Britain could be watching CBS from Miami on their computers, while in America, others get their first taste of MTV Europe... and if the transatlantic exchange goes ahead, it will be thanks to a billionaire media entrepreneur and his team, who have devised a new technology that allows people to stream high-definition videos over the internet even if they have a slow broadband connection. Alki David, founder and chairman of FilmOn.com, an online video streaming websi http://articles.bluepec.com/coming-to-a-pc-near-you-a-world-of-film-and-television-in-high-definition_58.html 22-12-2008 Microsoft is to due to issue a patch to fix a security flaw believed to have affected as many as 10,000 websites. The emergency patch should be available from 1800 GMT on 17 December, Microsoft has said. The flaw in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser could allow criminals to take control of people's computers and steal passwords. Internet Explorer is used by the vast majority of computer users and the flaw could affect all versions of it. So far the vulnerability has affected only machines ru http://articles.bluepec.com/microsoft-plans-quick-fix-for-ie_52.html 17-12-2008 The online watchdog, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), has withdrawn its objection to a Wikipedia page that contained an image of a naked girl. The page of the online encyclopaedia shows an album cover of German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1976. A number of internet providers blocked the page after IWF said it could be "potential illegal child sexual abuse." The IWF now says that given the age and availability of the image, it was no longer on its list of proscribed sites. Volunte http://articles.bluepec.com/iwf-backs-down-on-wiki-censorship_51.html 10-12-2008 A decision by a number of UK internet providers to block a Wikipedia page showing an image of a naked girl has angered users of the popular site. The blocked page of the online encyclopaedia shows an album cover of German heavy metal band Scorpions. Internet providers acted after online watchdog the Internet Watch Foundation warned them its picture may be illegal. Some volunteers who run Wikipedia said it was not for the foundation to censor one of the web's most popular sites. They also argued http://articles.bluepec.com/wikipedia-child-image-censored_50.html 08-12-2008 Black Friday is usually a day of bargain shopping. The gift giving comes later. This year, for Yahoo (YHOO) shareholders, a small present came a little early. Friday, in a SEC-required insider filing, Yahoo director and major shareholder Carl Icahn disclosed hed acquired an additional 6,778,804 shares of Yahoo stock in three transactions between Monday and Wednesday. The news, which many took as a forward-looking omen, helped elevate Yahoos stock price. Trying to look behind Icahns decision maki http://articles.bluepec.com/why-is-icahn-loading-up-on-yahoo_49.html 01-12-2008 An American woman, accused of driving a teenage girl to suicide by bullying her on MySpace, has been cleared of one of the most serious charges against her.Lori Drew, 49, was found not guilty of accessing a computer without authorisation to inflict emotional distress.The jury failed to reach a verdict on another conspiracy charge.She was convicted on three minor counts of violating the website's terms and conditions.Drew, from Missouri, was accused of posing as a boy on MySpace to befriend 13-ye http://articles.bluepec.com/woman-cleared-of-myspace-bullying_47.html 28-11-2008 Another top level Yahoo executive is leaving the troubled search company and the company has rushed to claim it is nothing to do with the resignation of CEO Jerry Yang.Toby Coppel has announced he is quitting as executive vice president and managing director of Europe and Canada. Yahoo said that his exit has been in the works for months and is unrelated to the recently announced resignation of Yahoo CEO or the fact that company's share price is sinking faster than a lead weight on the Titanic.C http://articles.bluepec.com/europe-yahoo-chief-flees-the-company_46.html 28-11-2008 Yahoo and Microsoft outperformed the U.S. search industry's 7 percent increase in search results for the month of October, while AOL slipped further behind, according to a ComScore report released Wednesday.During the month of October, 12.6 billion searches were conducted at home, work, and universities, up 7 percent from September results. Yahoo led the way in growth with a 9 percent increase to 2.6 billion searches, while Microsoft gained 8 percent to 1 billion.That performance outweighed Goog http://articles.bluepec.com/yahoo-microsoft-make-gains-in-search_44.html 27-11-2008 Foxmarks, Inc., one of the most popular browser add-ons in the world with more than nine million downloads, announced that it is a featured add-on in Mozilla's Fashion Your Firefox launch. In addition, the company formally announced that James Joaquin has joined the executive team as CEO. Founded by Mitch Kapor of Lotus Development Corporation and Mozilla Foundation fame, Foxmarks is a browser add-on that instantly syncs browser data across computers, keeps it safe with automated backups, and ma http://articles.bluepec.com/mozillas-fashion-your-firefox-launch-features-foxmarks_40.html 26-11-2008 Apple's Safari is among the Web browsers that have gained market share in 2008, according to a new report from research firm OneSat. Since February 2008, Safari increased its browser market share by 0.24 per cent worldwide. That gives Safari a 2.42 per cent worldwide market, putting it in third place overall in the browser wars. Apple follows Microsoft's Internet Explorer with 81.36 per cent market share and Mozilla/Firefox with 14.67 per cent market share. Behind Apple in fourth place is Opera http://articles.bluepec.com/apple-safari-google-chrome-gain-browser-market-share_37.html 25-11-2008 Yahoo has sold European comparison shopping service Kelkoo to a British investment firm, Kelkoo founder and former chief executive Pierre Chappaz said FridayChappaz, in a posting on his blog at wikio.fr, published a memo to Kelkoo employees from a Yahoo Europe executive, Glen Drury, announcing the sale of Kelkoo to British private equity firm Jamplant Ltd."Philip Smyth, Chairman of Jamplant, believes that with our backing, Kelkoo should be able to accelerate its growth much faster as a standalon http://articles.bluepec.com/yahoo-sells-shopping-service-kelkoo_33.html 24-11-2008 Google is considering pre-installing its Chrome browser on personal computers in the search giants latest challenge to the dominance of Microsofts Internet Explorer.The move would significantly ramp up the browser war that Google launched against Microsoft when it launched Chrome in September, in the battle to dominate how users access and interact with the web.Latest industry figures show that Internet Explorer currently enjoys a 71.3 per cent market share worldwide, with Mozilla Firefox at nea http://articles.bluepec.com/google-mulls-preinstalling-chrome-browser-on-computers_30.html 21-11-2008 Google has unveiled a tool that will allow users to customise and refine their search queries.The company's SearchWiki lets users re-order, remove or add specific web search results.This means the next time they perform the same search, the personalised version will pop up."I would call this revolutionary. It's a huge step, not a baby step in the world of search," Google's product manager, Cedric Dupont, told the BBC."This is part of an obvious movement of the web to become more participatory, s http://articles.bluepec.com/google-unveils-customised-search_29.html 21-11-2008 Surfing the internet, playing games and hanging out on social networks are important for teen development, a large study of online use has revealed.The report counters the stereotypical view held by many parents and teachers that such activity is a waste of time.More than 800 teenagers and parents took part in the three-year US project."They are learning the technological skills and literacy needed for the contemporary world," said the report's author, Dr Mimi Ito."They are learning how to commu http://articles.bluepec.com/online-time-is-good-for-teens_28.html 21-11-2008 The BBC is to begin showing all its programmes live over the internet from next week, raising questions about the long-term viability of the licence fee.Critics said that although viewers would still need to buy a licence to watch programmes on their computers, it would become harder to ensure payment. There are also questions over whether the telephone network could cope with the expected rise in internet traffic.Sir Howard Davies, the director of the London School of Economics, who sat on a co http://articles.bluepec.com/bbc-one-and-bbc-two-to-stream-live-online-from-next-week_27.html 20-11-2008 A US woman has gone on trial accused of using a fictional online personality to bully a 13-year-old girl who later killed herself.Lori Drew, 49, allegedly posed as a boy on the MySpace website to befriend Megan Meier, who hanged herself after their virtual relationship ended.California prosecutors say she set out to embarrass and humiliate the girl.She denies conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorisation.The latter charges refer to a person who uses their oth http://articles.bluepec.com/cyberbullying-trial-opens-in-us_26.html 20-11-2008 Emboldened by its first mission to the Moon, India is to take on a target closer to Earth: Google.The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), which is based in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of the sub-continent, will roll-out a rival to Google Earth, the hugely popular online satellite imagery service, by the end of the month.The project, dubbed Bhuvan (Sanskrit for Earth), will allow users to zoom into areas as small as 10 metres wide, compared to the 200 metre wide zoom limit on Google Eart http://articles.bluepec.com/indian-space-agency-isro-to-roll-out-a-rival-to-google-earth_24.html 19-11-2008 After years of banning access to blogs, YouTube and Facebook, it seems the federal government has figured out that maybe that Internet thing isn't so bad after all.In fact, it might even be useful.At the annual Government in Technology conference, federal officials took the wraps off the government's internal version of the popular online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, which it calls GCpedia.The service will allow federal employees to post, comment and edit articles placed on GCpedia by their peers.By http://articles.bluepec.com/government-finally-opts-to-be-internet-friendly-creates-own-version-of-wikipedia_23.html 19-11-2008 Yahoo cofounder Jerry Yang is to step down as CEO of the company, a move that's been linked to his failure to strike a deal with Google and resisting Microsoft's attempts to buy the company.Once a successor is found, Yang, who became CEO in June 2007, will take on his former title of Chief Yahoo, and will remain on the board.Yahoo's shares closed at under $11 yesterday, nine months after Microsoft's $44bn acquisition offer valued the company at $33 per share. Yahoo rejected the initial offer, an http://articles.bluepec.com/yahoo-ceo-jerry-yang-steps-down_21.html 18-11-2008 A new tool from the company behind Firefox performs tasks based on past preferences and commands typed in plain EnglishA marketing manager e-mails a sales rep telling him to go to a conference in Berlin. The rep, while reading the e-mail, types in "book this". His computer looks up the flights, books the most convenient return ticket with an aisle seat, finds the nearest four-star hotel, books a room, and puts the details in his calendar. And sends his wife some flowers to apologise for missing http://articles.bluepec.com/ubiquity-bridging-the-gap-between-mind-and-machine_18.html 17-11-2008 Internet fraudsters sell complete financial identities for just £80, according to an online safety group.The details packaged and sold online include names, addresses, passport numbers and confidential financial data such as credit card numbers.With six out of 10 people now managing finances online, experts say the public needs to do more to prevent e-crime.The figure comes in data released as part of a week highlighting ways to protect identities online.The Get Safe Online group, which is backe http://articles.bluepec.com/uk-identities-sold-for-80-online_17.html 17-11-2008 Spammers are turning a profit despite only getting one response for every 12.5m e-mails they send, finds a study.By hijacking a working spam network, US researchers have uncovered some of the economics of being a junk mailer.The analysis suggests that such a tiny response rate means a big spam operation can turn over millions of pounds in profit every year.It also suggests that spammers may be susceptible to attacks that make it more costly to send junk mail.Slim pickingsThe spam study was carri http://articles.bluepec.com/study-shows-how-spammers-cash-in_16.html 13-11-2008 The closure of a web hosting firm that is believed to have had spam gangs as clients has led to a drastic reduction in junk mail.Two US internet service providers have pulled the plug on the firm McColo following an investigation by the Washington Post newspaper.Anti-spam firm Ironport has seen junk mail levels drop by 70% since McColo was taken offline on 11 November.But, it warned, it will be a temporary respite from the menace of spam.Plug pulled"It is an unprecedented drop but will be a temp http://articles.bluepec.com/spam-plummets-as-gang-leaves-net_15.html 13-11-2008 Google has added a new twist to its popular 3D map tool, Google Earth, offering millions of users the chance to visit a virtual ancient Rome.Google has reconstructed the sprawling city - inhabited by more than one million people as long ago as AD320.Users can zoom around the map to visit the Forum of Julius Caesar, stand in the centre of the Colosseum or swoop over the Basilica.Researchers behind the project say it adds to five centuries of knowledge."This is another step in creating a virtual t http://articles.bluepec.com/google-earth-revives-ancient-rome_14.html 13-11-2008 Internet service provider TalkTalk is offering customers the chance to sample super-fast broadband.It is launching its myTalkTalk broadband package with a basic monthly price of £6.49 and a series of add-ons, including a speed boost of up to 24Mbps (megabits per second).Other boosts include half-price mobile calls, an extra 40Gb (gigabytes) of downloads and cheaper fixed line calls.The boosts can be activated at anytime and will cost £4 per month."People's communication needs are constantly chan http://articles.bluepec.com/talktalk-offers-boosts-to-speed_13.html 13-11-2008 Barack Obama is turning to the web as he prepares to become US president.Via a website called Change.gov, the Obama campaign plans to provide a guide to the transition process.The site also solicits suggestions from US citizens about their vision for America, and lets them apply for a post with the new administration.On its transition website, the US governmental watchdog has listed the 13 most urgent issues that will soon confront President-elect Obama.Job adsThe US Government Accountability Of http://articles.bluepec.com/web-helps-obama-with-transition_11.html 09-11-2008 Google is launching an open source web browser to compete with Internet Explorer and Firefox.The browser is designed to be fast, and to cope with the next generation of web applications that rely on graphics and multimedia.Called Chrome, it will launch as a beta for Windows machines in 100 countries, with Mac and Linux versions to come."We realised... we needed to completely rethink the browser," said Google's Sundar Pichai in a blog post.The new browser will help Google take advantage of develo http://articles.bluepec.com/google-launches-internet-browser_10.html 09-11-2008 By Maggie ShielsYahoo said the "For Sale" sign is still on its front lawn and that Microsoft should buy the company.The internet portal's co-founder and CEO Jerry Yang made the comment despite the fact Yahoo rejected a $33 (£21) a share offer from Microsoft back in May.Mr Yang's suggestion also came hours after Google pulled out of an internet advertising partnership with Yahoo."To this day the best thing for Microsoft to do is buy Yahoo," said Mr Yang."I don't think that is a bad idea at all, a http://articles.bluepec.com/yahoo-tells-microsoft-buy-us_8.html 06-11-2008 Yahoo is to cut about 1,500 jobs - 10% of its global workforce - as it tries to restore the company's fortunes in the face of declining profits.The US internet group made the announcement as it reported a 64% slump in third quarter profits.Yahoo's net profit for the three months to 30 September totalled $54.3m (£32.5m), compared with $151.3m for the same period last year.The firm turned down a takeover offer from Microsoft earlier this year.With Yahoo's latest results worse than market expectati http://articles.bluepec.com/yahoo-to-cut-10-of-its-workforce_7.html 06-11-2008 Google has decided to abandon its advertising partnership with Yahoo to avoid having a "protracted legal battle" with regulators.The deal involved Google providing some of the advertising around Yahoo's search results and would have been worth $800m (£494m) a year to Yahoo.It was originally announced in June but has faced anti-trust objections.Yahoo said in a statement it was disappointed that Google had decided not to fight for the deal in court.Yahoo was relying on the deal with Google to help http://articles.bluepec.com/google-abandons-deal-with-yahoo_6.html 06-11-2008