• New search engine targets Internet video, audio
  Time: 06:03 EDT/11:03 GMT News Source: CNet Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  There are lots of fish in the dot-com ocean, but Singingfish.com sees a whale of an opportunity for its new search engine that hunts down video and audio clips of music, sports, movies and news on the Internet.

  The Seattle-based start-up is set to debut its new streaming media search service, based on a database of 2.5 million media clips that it hopes will help satisfy a growing thirst for multimedia on the Web.

  "Not in the too-distant future we will be in the situation of having TV with tens of thousands of stations, and the challenge is how users can find content that is important to them," Singingfish president Mike Behlke said.

  Streaming usually requires a fast computer and Internet connection to work well, but is becoming more popular as technology improves.

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• Internet attracting younger news audience
  Time: 06:01 EDT/11:01 GMT News Source: CNet Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Key segments of the nation's news audience, particularly younger and better-educated Americans, and those seeking financial information, are turning increasingly to the Internet, says a new poll on media trends.

  The Web's rapid growth as a source for news continues a splintering of that audience among the Internet, cable and broadcast television, and print publications.

  "People have so many different ways of communicating with one another and learning about the outside world that the environment in which the news is put out and received is very different from five years ago," said Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, which conducted the survey.

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• Congress to Act Soon on Internet Signature Bill
  Time: 06:00 EDT/11:00 GMT News Source: Yahoo! Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  The U.S. Congress will soon pass legislation to make it easier to authenticate digital signatures on the Internet, Republican Sen. Conrad Burns of Montana said on Saturday.

  In the weekly Republican radio address, Burns said the legislation is part of the efforts of the Republican-led Congress to make sure rural areas have access to new technologies.

  ``(The legislation) will make it easier for any American who wants to transact business online, but especially folks in rural America,'' he said.

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• Tech firms lobby for open IM standards
  Time: 04:48 EDT/09:48 GMT News Source: ComputerWorld Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  A group of 43 technology companies including Microsoft Corp. and CMGI Inc. has sent a letter to Washington urging support for instant-messaging (IM) interoperability. The letter, sent to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), expressed "concern" about the IM marketplace in light of the proposed America Online Inc. merger with Time Warner Inc.

  AOL has been criticized by other vendors for failing to allow users of its popular Instant Messenger software to exchange real-time messages with users of other messaging software.

  In the letter, a group led by the recently formed industry organization FreeIM.org said the government shouldn't allow a single provider to put a wall around the market, either to keep their customers in or to keep competition and innovations out.

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• Virus Protection Coming to Palm
  Time: 04:48 EDT/09:48 GMT News Source: PC World Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Symantec begins developing antivirus program for handheld units.

  The dreaded plague of computer viruses grabbing headlines worldwide doesn't seem likely to end anytime soon, particularly now that one slipped into mobile phones this week.

  Security experts identified the Timofónica virus from Spain, which infected cellular telephones and flooded them with e-mail messages. To offer advance protection to handheld units in the United States, antivirus software vendor Symantec is developing software to safeguard the Palm operating system. Handheld units running the operating system have yet to be hit by viruses, according to Palm officials.

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• Judge Denies Credit Card Request
  Time: 04:47 EDT/09:47 GMT News Source: Wired Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  A U.S. federal judge on Thursday overturned an attempt by top credit card networks Visa and MasterCard to have a government antitrust case against them dismissed, paving the way for a lengthy trial.

  The Justice Department sued Visa and MasterCard in late 1998, accusing them of hampering competition through their exclusionary relationships with banks. Visa and MasterCard -- independent networks each owned by banks -- control more than 75 percent of the U.S. credit card market.

  The trial will begin on June 12 in a federal court in New York, after Judge Barbara Jones denied Visa and MasterCard summary judgment on several issues in a pretrial hearing on Thursday. The card networks are owned by major banks.

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• Newspapers encouraged to go the wireless route
  Time: 04:45 EDT/09:45 GMT News Source: CNet Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Though most U.S. newspapers are still struggling to publish online editions, the Newspaper Association of America wants them to think about going one step further: publishing on wireless devices.

  "The day is coming when the portable Web will outnumber desktops, because it's portable like the newspaper and it becomes what (wireless) carriers call 'the unconscious carry,'" said Melinda Gipson, director of new media business development for the NAA .

  "One won't replace the other, but newspapers more than any existing medium have the rich local resources on which to draw to create these tactical, useful walking-around services," Gipson said yesterday. "This is why newspapers should care about wireless."

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• Game makers sue pirate sites
  Time: 04:58 EDT/09:58 GMT News Source: USA Today Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Thirteen computer and video game companies - including Sony Corp. and Nintendo Co. - are suing six Internet Web site operators, alleging they illegally sold hundreds of pirated games, a U.S. trade group for the entertainment software industry said.

  The video and computer game makers are seeking court-ordered injunctions to shut down the sites. The suits also seek penalties of as much as $150,000 for each pirated work, said the Interactive Digital Software Association. The Web site operators being sued are individuals in Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Idaho, South Carolina and British Columbia.

  The simultaneous filing of six such lawsuits represents ''a major step in the direction of addressing Internet pirating on a systematic basis,'' said Ric Hirsch, the association's senior vice president for intellectual property enforcement.

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• Bug bites free email services at MailCity, iVillage
  Time: 04:50 EDT/09:50 GMT News Source: CNet Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  In the latest security breach besetting free Web-based email services, Lycos' WhoWhere said it had fixed a problem this week affecting millions of accounts, including those belonging to MailCity and iVillage members.

  WhoWhere representatives would not disclose how many people have registered for the company's MailCity service, nor would they estimate how many other accounts may have been at risk or how long the bug might have existed. Representatives for women's portal iVillage said the company has 4.9 million registered subscribers for its free email service, which it has outsourced to WhoWhere for about two years.

  WhoWhere spokesman Brian Degonia confirmed the service had a problem but said the company received no complaints about security breaches until it was contacted Monday by CNET News.com. He said the problem was fixed by Monday night.

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• Instant messaging battle goes to Washington
  Time: 04:45 EDT/09:45 GMT News Source: CNet Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  More than 40 companies have signed a letter to federal regulators urging them to support opening up America Online's instant messaging network when examining the Net giant's proposed acquisition of Time Warner.

  The letter is the latest attempt by two CMGI-owned companies, iCast and Tribal Voice, to bring the issue of instant messaging interoperability to the attention of regulators. As previously reported, the companies have been trying to solicit industry support from companies such as Excite@Home and Yahoo.

  The companies also filed a complaint in April with the Federal Communications Commission asking officials to "encourage" AOL to open its network.

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• Barnes & Noble Makes Mighty Investment
  Time: 18:38 EDT/23:38 GMT News Source: ZDNet Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  MightyWords.com, the digital publishing spin-off of online bookseller FatBrain.com, got some in getting the word out on its online publishing and distribution service, announcing today that BarnesandNoble.com is investing $20 million in the company.

  Along with its investment, Barnesandnoble.com - more commonly known as Bn.com - says it will also feature content from MightyWords.com on its popular online bookstore. MightyWords.com, launched last year to give both recognized author and unknown writers a place to publish and sell content, has focused its efforts on short works: essays, short stories, condensed books, serialized pieces, updated chapters, movie scripts, speeches, white papers and research reports.

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• TheStreet.com Countersues Fox
  Time: 18:35 EDT/23:35 GMT News Source: Wired Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  The co-founder of TheStreet.com, hedge fund manager James Cramer, said Tuesday he has filed a counterclaim against Fox News in response to the news channel's lawsuit filed after the financial Web site canceled its television program in May.

  In his counterclaim, Cramer alleges breach of contract and seeks an injunction to keep the 24-hour news channel from interfering with his appearance on other TV networks.

  Cramer's filing in New York Supreme Court added another chapter to the saga that began when Fox News, operated by News Corp. Ltd.'s Fox Entertainment Group, criticized Cramer for plugging the stock of TheStreet.com on an April 15 program.

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• O.J. plans Net chat--for a price
  Time: 18:34 EDT/23:34 GMT News Source: CNet Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  O.J. Simpson plans to talk to the public via the Internet within the next few weeks, a decision he made after controversy erupted yesterday over a polygraph test he allegedly took after his ex-wife's death.

  In a telephone interview last night, Simpson said he plans to answer questions from the public for a fee through a new site called PublicCrossing.com.

  "I've always wanted to be able to talk directly to the public," Simpson said. "It's amazing how many people don't know the facts of my case.

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• Sydney Games not ready for Internet
  Time: 18:31 EDT/23:31 GMT News Source: USA Today Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  By their own admission, the people who run the Olympics haven't figured out what to do about the Internet.

  "At the moment, we are lost," International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch said in April. "We have big worries about what can happen in the future, not only for the IOC but also sports federations."

  Because of those worries, the IOC will restrict Internet coverage of the Sydney Games. Internet-based reporters probably won't be allowed in to cover the games. And nobody - not even NBC, which paid $705 million for television broadcast rights to the Sydney Games - will be allowed to use video or audio from the Games on their Web sites.

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• Palm Acquires E-Mail Solution Provider
  Time: 18:29 EDT/23:29 GMT News Source: Internet News Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Handheld computer maker Palm Inc. Tuesday grabbed privately-held Actual Software Corp. in another move to catch the attention of mobile wireless users. The deal, for which Palm yielded $4 million worth of cash and stock, will close in the fourth quarter.

  Already a leading provider of e-mail solutions for the Palm operating system, Actual will now better enable Palm to provide handheld computer customers with a universal e-mail client.

  As a result of the acquisition, Palm will roll out integrated solutions that include Actual Software's client and conduit technology to reach these goals and deliver enhanced e-mail solutions across its product line.

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• Internet Gambling Rolls Ahead
  Time: 16:06 EDT/21:06 GMT News Source: PCWorld Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Virtual casinos are booming while the laws surrounding them remain unclear.

  When he is unable to sleep or needs a quick pick-me-up, "Neil" turns on his home computer, finds an Internet casino, and gambles away his money with a credit card and the click of a mouse.

  From the privacy of his living room, he can instantly find more than 800 casinos on the Web and turn his PC into an electronic blackjack, slot, or poker machine or a sports bookie who will take his wagers 24 hours a day.

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• Sony to boost PlayStation chip production
  Time: 16:05 EDT/21:05 GMT News Source: CNet Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Japanese electronics giant Sony said today it would spend 125 billion yen ($1.16 billion) to boost output of chips used in its cutting-edge PlayStation2 console to smooth its overseas debut in October.

  Sony's wholly owned game-making Sony Computer Entertainment unit will make the additional investment to its initial 130 billion yen outlay in two semiconductor plants in southern Japan, one for graphic chips and the other for advanced central processing units (CPUs).

  The fresh spending is aimed at boosting output of its popular128-bit PlayStation2 game player, which SCE launched on March 4 in Japan, shipping more than 1 million in the first week and 2 million machines in the first 82 days.

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• Is Net Hype Really Dying?
  Time: 16:03 EDT/21:03 GMT News Source: PCWorld Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  The early hype surrounding the Internet and "dot-com" mania is giving way to a more moderate view that will ultimately be a change for the better, according to Mitch Kapor, who founded Lotus Development and the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation.

  "I think we're at a particularly important moment now in the evolution of the Internet," Kapor said at the biannual Harvard Internet & Society conferenc here on Wednesday.

  The "retreat from a kind of giddy euphoria" occurred as a consequence of the recent correction on the technology-heavy Nasdaq stock market, Kapor said. One effect has been that the free flow of funding for startup technology-related companies has slowed.

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• Juno files patent suit against NetZero, Qualcomm
  Time: 16:01 EDT/21:01 GMT News Source: CNet Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Internet service provider Juno Online today said it has filed a lawsuit against NetZero and Qualcomm, alleging that the two companies have infringed Juno's email advertising patent.

  In its lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware, Juno alleged that Qualcomm, the maker of Eudora email software, and NetZero, a provider of free Internet access, have infringed on technology that Juno developed. The technology enables advertisements and other content to be displayed while a customer is offline.

  In the filing, the New York-based company alleged that NetZero and Qualcomm are "producing, distributing and encouraging" the use of software that "unlawfully" installs Juno's patented technology into the latest version of Qualcomm's Eudora email software.

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• Linux struggles to get beyond the Web
  Time: 15:56 EDT/20:56 GMT News Source: InfoWorld Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Behind the scenes, much of the Internet is run on open-source platforms, including the Linux operating system.

  But bringing Linux over the divide to in-house corporate use still remains the largest problem Linux companies face, according to Larry Augustin, president and chief executive officer of VA Linux Systems. "If you're using the Internet today, you're using open-source software; you're using Linux," Augustin said in a keynote here Thursday at the European Linux Conference.

  Augustin said 60 percent of Web servers on the Internet are running Apache, the open-source Web server software.

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• Feds Find Eco-Terrorist Files
  Time: 15:56 EDT/20:56 GMT News Source: Wired Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  Computer equipment seized from the home of Portland, Oregon resident Craig Rosebraugh has allegedly been found to contain a wealth of evidence pertaining to the still-unsolved 1998 firebombing of the Vail, Colorado ski area and a host of other purported acts of "eco-terrorism."

  Rosebraugh, whose computers were seized when federal agents stormed his home three months ago, says law enforcement officials are now claiming that they have recovered a number of files linking him and other radical environmentalists to the Vail arson and a rash of other "eco-terrorist" acts.

  "According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, there's a 'remarkable amount' of evidence that was found on my hard drive that implicates either myself or other individuals in these acts," Rosebraugh said.

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• Baan finds a rescuer, but user concerns remain
  Time: 15:55 EDT/20:55 GMT News Source: Computer World Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  The fate of Dutch business applications vendor Baan Co. is now known, but that of its users is less certain.

  After seven consecutive quarters of losses and leadership woes that saw four different CEOs at its helm within 18 months, Baan yesterday was potentially rescued by Invensys PLC's offer to buy the company for 762 million euros (US$708.7 million). The deal is expected to close in late July or early August, said Allen Yurko, CEO of Invensys, a London-based supplier of industrial automation and control products, during a conference call with analysts on Wednesday.

  If the deal is consummated, Baan will be integrated into a newly created Invensys Software and System (ISS) division. According to Katrina Roche, Baan's chief marketing officer, 1,000 jobs will be cut from ISS, with the bulk of the layoffs coming from the Baan side. Baan, which specializes in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supply-chain software, currently has a workforce of 4,300 people.

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• FBI, DOJ issue list of worst Internet threats
  Time: 15:54 EDT/20:54 GMT News Source: Computer World Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  The FBI, the Department of Justice and the SANS Institute are jointly releasing a list detailing the 10 most critical Internet security threats and how to eliminate them.

  While those threats are mostly of concern to network administrators, the SANS Institute also released a list of the five worst security mistakes committed by average computer users.

  Not surprising, at the top of that list is opening unsolicited e-mail attachments without verifying their source or checking their content. Apparently, people haven't yet learned the security lessons of the "I Love You" virus, as messages containing the virus are still being sent — nearly a month after it was unleashed — causing an estimated $6.7 billion worth in damage.

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• High-tech crooks thrive in Russia
  Time: 15:53 EDT/20:53 GMT News Source: USAZ Today Posted By: Matthew Sabean

  The open-air Gorbushka market is the Alice's Restaurant of software. You can get anything you want.

  Laid out on tables under the trees of a Moscow park - as if at a huge yard sale - are row upon row of compact discs. The discs are crammed with pirated versions of expensive programs worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. Vendors offer everything from Microsoft's Windows 98 operating system to computer-assisted-design and voice-recognition software.

  Here, though, they're on sale for 75 rubles, or about $2.75, a disc. It's all illegal, but who's noticing?

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Read more of the past months news in our News Archive for April and May News.

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