A small group of physicians nationwide is using technology to transmit prescription orders from a computer to the pharmacy. In an effort to nudge more physicians in that direction, the federal government will begin offering bonuses in January to Medicare physicians who write electronic prescriptions.
Former TV News Anchor Gets House Arrest for Hacking
Standing contritely before a federal judge who held his fate, former CBS3 news anchor Larry Mendte apologized directly to Alycia Lane for hacking into her e-mails and spreading rumors that helped get her -- and ultimately him -- fired. In addition to six months of electronically monitored house arrest, the judge sentenced Mendte to three years of probation and 250 hours of community service, and ordered him to pay a $5,000 fine by year's end.
Drug Information on Wikipedia Called Inaccurate
Consumers who rely on the user-edited Web resource Wikipedia for information on medications are putting themselves at risk of potentially harmful drug interactions and adverse effects, new research shows. Dr. Kevin A. Clauson of Nova Southeastern University in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and his colleagues found few factual errors in their evaluation of Wikipedia entries on 80 drugs.
Wash. AG Wants Limits on Cigarette Sales Online
Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna says he'll ask the Legislature to ban the shipment of Internet cigarettes to anyone other than licensed wholesalers or retail stores. The Olympian reports the goal is to prevent the shipment of cigarettes to children.
Juror Dismissed After Posting Trial Info on Facebook
A female juror was dismissed from a trial after posting details of the case on Facebook and asking friends whether they thought the defendants were guilty. The woman went against strict rules forbidding jurors from discussing cases with family and friends by posting details of the sexual assault and child abduction trial on the social networking site.
Company Sues Apple Over iPhone's Web Surfing
EMG Technology announced it has filed suit against Appleo ver the way that the iPhone navigates the Internet. EMG's, patent, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and given U.S. Patent number 7,441,196, describes an "Apparatus and method of manipulating a region on a wireless device screen for viewing, zooming and scrolling internet content."
Facebook Wins $873 Million Judgement Under Anti-Spam Laws
Facebook has won an $873 million judgment -- the largest to be delivered under federal anti-spam laws -- against a Canadian resident accused of sending more than 4 million bogus messages from members' profiles, many advertising male enhancement drugs.Facebook sued Adam Guerbuez and his business, Atlantis Blue Capital, which Facebook alleges is fictitious, in August, and accused him of sending more than 4 million spam messages in March and April.
Chinese Spies Target U.S. PCs, Commission Reports
China is actively conducting cyber espionage as a warfare strategy and has targeted U.S. government and commercial computers, according to a new report from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. "China's current cyber operations capability is so advanced, it can engage in forms of cyber warfare so sophisticated that the United States may be unable to counteract or even detect the efforts," according to the annual report delivered to Congress.
Judge Orders Ballmer to Testify in "Vista Capable" Case
A judge ruled that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will have to testify in a class action suit over the "Vista Capable" logo program that Microsoft ran ahead of the launch of Windows Vista. Microsoft had sought to limit depositions in the case to former Windows executives Jim Allchin and Will Poole, both of whom have since left the company.
Samsung, InterDigital Settle Mobile Tech Patent Suit
Samsung Electronics entered into a patent licensing agreement with InterDigital, just a day ahead of a U.S. decision on whether or not to bar Samsung 3G handsets from entering the country. The settlement resolves disputes on 2G (second-generation mobile technology) and 3G (third-generation mobile technology) patents held by InterDigital.
In China, Volunteers Target Detective Agency
Millions of people working together as a "human flesh search engine," a bizarre term meant to capture the mix of cutting-edge and old-as-the-hills tactics used in a growing number of Internet vigilante campaigns, are targeting China's most famous detective agency.
Hackers Gain Patience, Seek New Ways to Nab Victims
Internet criminals have been getting more "professional" for years, trying to run their businesses like Big Business to get better and more profitable at selling stolen data online. Now the bad guys of the cyber-underworld are exhibiting other unexpected traits: remarkable patience and restraint in stalking their victims.
Company Seeks to Acquire Patents to Thwart "Trolls"
A new company is launching with the intent of acquiring patents to shield technology companies from costly patent lawsuits. RPX, a San Francisco-based start-up, calls itself a "defensive patent aggregator."
Worsening Economy Leads to More Online Scams
As the economy worsens and more people get laid off, online fraud and financial scams are rising, security experts say. Many of the scams lure people in with promises of quick and easy money.
In Settlement, EHarmony to Offer Gay-Based Website
EHarmony, the dating website heavily promoted by Christian evangelical leaders when it was founded, has agreed in a civil rights settlement to give up its heterosexuals-only policy and offer same-sex matches. It must not only implement the new policy by March 31 but also give the first 10,000 same-sex registrants a free six-month subscription.
Teen Commits Suicide on Internet TV Broadcast
A 19-year-old man has committed suicide while broadcasting himself on Justin.tv, according to a report at NewTeeVee. The teenager took an overdose of pills while on camera and was apparently encouraged to do so by commentators on Justin.tv and a bodybuilding site, according to the report.
MySpace Sucide Trial Explores Cyberlaw Issues
So far, the testimony in the Lori Drew cyber-bullying trial, which began in Los Angeles, has generated headlines for its inherent drama and tragedy: the mother of a teenage daughter, accused of using the MySpace Latest News about MySpace social network to stage an elaborate hoax that ends with the suicide of a troubled 13-year-old classmate, Megan Meier. But the legal foundation for the prosecution's case seems like it belongs to a different court proceeding, one that doesn't involve a mother's tears and stories of teen girl gossip-mongering.
iPhone User Files Class-Action Suit Over Cracks
A New York iPhone 3G user has filed a class action suit against Apple and AT&T Wireless, claiming the device does not deliver promised network capabilities and the smartphone's casing is prone to hairline cracks. The suit, filed September 29 in Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Nassau, by Avi Koschitzki, initially alleged that Apple and AT&T misrepresented network performance speed.
E-Gold Directors Avoid Prison Sentence
A federal judge decided not to impose a prison sentence on the senior directors of E-Gold, an Internet-based digital currency firm, who had previously pleaded guilty to violations of money laundering and running an unlicensed money transmitting business. The three directors of E-Gold, in addition to its Gold & Silver Reserve parent company, were indicted in April 2007 after federal prosecutors accused the online payment site of being a haven for criminal activity like processing investment scams and payments for child pornography.
Cybercrime Damage Estimated at $100 Billion Annually
Cybercrime is likely to wreak as much havoc as the credit crisis in the coming years if international regulation is not improved, some of the world's top crime experts said. Damage caused by cybercrime is estimated at $100 billion annually, said Kilian Strauss, of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
