M2Z is a small wireless start-up with a big goal: free broadband for the masses. Milo Medin, M2Z's chairman and co-founder and a broadband pioneer, wants the ad-supported service to ultimately be available to 95% of the USA.
Best Western Reacts to Report of "Biggest Cyber Heist"
The headline in this week's Glasgow Sunday Herald -- "Revealed: 8 million victims in the world's biggest cyber heist" -- was a grabber. And it certainly got the attention of the Best Western hotel chain, which found itself scrambling to do damage control after the Scottish newspaper reported that hackers had broken into its online reservation system and stolen 8 million customer records.
Palin Has Limited Record on Technology Issues
Alaska is no high-tech haven, so it's understandable that Gov. Sarah Palin is a little-known quantity when it comes to tech policy and renewable energy. Edwards added that despite the lack of a major software or Internet industry, Palin has not issued any tax breaks for technology companies or technology initiatives as an incentive to bring such businesses to the state (an admittedly difficult thing to do).
European Court Clears Way for Hacker's Extradition
The European Court of Human Rights has cleared the way for the extradition of a British man who allegedly hacked into secret U.S. military computers, his lawyer said. The court refused to delay Gary McKinnon's extradition to the United States, which he says would violate his human rights. McKinnon's lawyer, Karen Todner, said his extradition could come within the next two weeks.
German Court Rules for H-P in Inkjet Case
Hewlett-Packard Co. said on a German court has found Pelikan Hardcopy to be in violation of laws on unfair competition.
Internet Gives Trademark Law More Importance
Some legal experts say trademark issues may take on a higher profile, fueled by the escalating value of brands in general and trademark holders increasingly trying to assert their rights, especially on the Internet. "Trademark is the sleeping giant of intellectual property," said Paul Goldstein, a professor at the Stanford law school.
Comcast Sets Limits for Home ISP Users
Starting October 1 customers of Comcast's residential data services will have an invisible barrier on their monthly data usage. Under the new guidelines of Comcast's Acceptable Use Policy, that cap will be set at 250 gigabytes per month, per account.
Judge Rules for Video-Sharing Site in Copyright Case
A U.S. judge has thrown out a copyright infringement case against Veoh Networks Inc., an Internet video start-up with high-profile Hollywood backers, ruling that video-sharing companies are not solely responsible for policing piracy that may take place on their sites. The California court dismissed a copyright infringement suit by adult entertainment company Io Group Inc. against Veoh and granted summary judgment to the defendants.
FBI Arrests Blogger for Streaming Guns N' Roses Album
The FBI on arrested a Los Angeles-area blogger on suspicion of violating federal copyright laws after he allegedly streamed tracks of the unreleased Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy on his Web site. Kevin Cogill, 27, caused quite a stir earlier this summer when he allegedly began streaming nine songs from the album, which has been 15 years in the making, on his blog Antiquiet.
Target Settles Website Suit with Blind Advocacy Group
Target Corp. has agreed to pay $6 million in damages to plaintiffs in California unable to use its online site as part of a class action settlement with the National Federation of the Blind, a leading advocacy group for blind people. Furthermore, the settlement requires Target to implement internal guidelines to make its site more accessible to the blind by Feb. 28, 2009, with assistance from the NFB.
Hackers Target Self-Checkout Systems in U.K.
Self-checkout systems in UK supermarkets are being targeted by hi-tech criminals with stolen credit card details. A BBC investigation has unearthed a plan hatching online to loot US bank accounts via the checkout systems.
FAA Blames Computer Problem for Massive Flight Delays
The Federal Aviation Administration blamed a computer breakdown for delaying hundreds of flights throughout the country, including Baltimore and Washington. The system handles basic flight plan data that must be distributed to air traffic controllers around the country before planes take off.
Laptops Carried to Space Station Contain Virus
A computer virus is alive and well on the International Space Station. NASA has confirmed that laptops carried to the ISS in July were infected with a virus.
Computer with Bank Customers' Data Sold on eBay
An investigation is under way into how a computer containing bank customers' personal data was sold on eBay. The computer, bought by IT manager Andrew Chapman for £77, had the sensitive details on its hard drive.
U.K. Authority Bans Apple's TV Ad for iPhone
The U.K.'s Advertising Standards Authority has banned an ad for the iPhone that promised users access to "all parts of the internet" on their Apple device. As the device doesn't offer Flash or Java, and not all Web sites can be seen in their entirety, the complaints said.
Immersion to Pay Microsoft $20.75 Million Settlement
Immersion Corp., which develops and licenses touch feedback technology, said it will pay $20.75 million to software maker Microsoft Corp. as part of the settlement of a litigation. The companies agreed to resolve Microsoft's claim under a 2003 sublicense agreement, as well as Immersion's counterclaim that Microsoft breached a confidentiality agreement dated May 2007, Immersion said in a statement.
Court in Turkey Lifts Ban on YouTube
A court in Turkey has lifted a ban on YouTube, the video sharing website, after hundreds of sites voluntarily blocked themselves in protest at growing internet censorship. Access to YouTube had been blocked since May in the latest of a series of bans triggered by the posting of videos deemed insulting to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the modern Turkish state.
Judge Says File-Sharing Defendant Destroyed Evidence
The recording industry appears to have won a closely watched copyright infringement case over charges of evidence tampering. Judge Neil Wake ruled that Jeffery Howell, a defendant in Atlantic v. Howell, had willfully and intentionally destroyed evidence related to his peer-to-peer activities after being notified of pending legal action by the RIAA, according to a report by Ars Technica.
Data Breaches This Year Exceed Total for 2007
More data breaches have been reported so far this year than in all of 2007, according to a report released by a nonprofit group that works to prevent fraud. Identity Theft Resource Center of San Diego found that 449 U.S. businesses, government agencies and universities have reported a loss or theft of consumer data this year.
Security Breaches Highlight Need for Repairs, Experts Say
Three very big and very different computer security breaches that have dominated recent headlines did more than show how badly the Internet needs major repairs. They also exposed the huge rift between corporate America and the federal government over who should fix it, cyber-security experts say.
