Friday Update

Call for Help is dark today for our monthly planning meetings. OK we're really just busy downloading the new Matrix: Revolutions trailer. Patrick is on vacation, racing trucks; Kevin Rose will fill-in for him on tonight's The Screen Savers. Jack LaLanne is 89. Abbey Road, the last album the Beatles recorded as a group, was released on this day in 1969.

• The author of a report critical of Microsoft's dominance has been fired by his company. Security firm @Stake said that CTO, Daniel R. Geer Jr.'s participation in preparation of the report was not sanctioned by the firm, and that "the values and opinions of the report are not in line with [@Stake's] views." Oh yeah, and Microsoft just happens to be a client. CIO Magazine had already refused to assist the CCIA in distributing the report, saying it was "too sensitive." Bet you want to read it now, don't you? (It's in this PDF alas.)
• The Register says Sobig is being used to target anti-spam sites with DDoS attacks. SPEWS, Monkeys.com and Compu.Net blacklisting sites have been closed. Spamhaus is under constant attack. In addition, Messagelabs says 70% of spam is coming through open proxies - half of which are created by trojans Sobig, Fizzer, and BugBear.
• As we reported yesterday, Congress acted with unusual alacrity and unanimity to save the Do Not Call registry, but now a second judge has ruled that the list blocking telemarketing calls violates the First Amendment. Can Congress repeal that overnight?
• The New York Times has an interview with Sarah Ward, the retired school teacher who the RIAA wrongly accused of sharing hip-hop. It's very disturbing. These lawsuits smack of a police state. Instead of Orwell's Thought Police, we have the Copyright Police, and they're clearly out of control.
• Meanwhile major library organizations file brief in support of Morpheus and Grokster. Wow.
• Send spam, go to jail. Senate Judiciary Committee approves a bill that includes jail time for spammers but it's unlikely that Congress will have time to pass it before adjourning. Congress could never pass a bill in just a week, could it? Hmmmm.
• House effectively kills TIA by eliminating it from the budget. I guess Admiral Poindexter will have to find work other than spying on Americans. Sen. Ron Wyden told c|net that the "program that would have been the biggest and most intrusive surveillance program in the history of the United States will be no more. The lights are going out at the office." The Senate still has to approve.
• On the heels of Yahoo's new shopping search service, Amazon says it's going to start a Pricewatch style site, too.
• The dog genome has been mapped. Craig Ventner donated the genes of his poodle, Shadow, for the effort.

Moanday's News

Tonight you'll have a rare chance to spot Uranus. No I won't be saying that on TV.

• A flaw in Internet Explorer that was thought fixed is still there, leaving all users vulnerable to rogue web pages. One exploit places huge charges on your phone bill. The fix: turn off ActiveX until Microsoft issues a patch, then turn it back on to visit Windows Update. This is getting ridiculous.
• Rollin' up the ribbon clerks. Investigators in Seattle have arrested another teenager for creating an MSBlaster variant.
• Musicmatch introduces iTunes-like service for US Windows users. Musicmatch Downloads offers songs for 99¢ and whole CDs for ten bucks. Songs are in WMA format but can be burned to disc and copied to WMA compatible MP3 players. Dell plans music store, too.
• Yahoo is blocking Trillian.
• Segway is recalling all 6,000 scooters sold for safety fix. Maybe it's time to build your own.

News for Tooz

We're chewing up the bandwidth again. This time it's the Return of the King trailer, available from Apple and The Lord of the Rings official site. The first information revolution began on this day in 1452 when Gutenberg published his bible. And pianos went airborne when the first Boeing 747 rolled out on this day in 1968.

• Microsoft has demanded that Lindows take down its MSFreePC web site claiming the site includes false and misleading information and encourages filing of fraudulent claims.
• It's looking good for the RIAA. 64 lawsuit targets have settled with the RIAA, 838 others apply for amnesty. Kazaa use is down 40% since last spring. Will it jump back now that students are back on campus?
• Don't open that online greeting card! Lover Spy claims to be able to spy on loved ones by simply sending them an innocuous e-greeting. Using the software could violate the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. (I've received spam advertising this program many times already.)
• Microsoft has agreed to open its source code to China. The Chinese government is worried about security and NSA backdoors. Russia, the UK, and NATO are also said to be browsing the Windows source looking for holes. No word that Adrian Lamo will be given a shot at the source.
• PanAmSat launches HDTV satellite this week.
• In attempt to block a Yahoo! group sponsored by a separatist movement, Indian ISPs block 'em all.

News for Wodin's Day

Happy October. The Babe's called shot home run was hit on this day in the 1932 World Series at Wrigley Field. Yanks went on to beat the Cubbies four straight. Roger Maris broke the Babe's home run record on this day in 1961. (2003: Giants 1 - Marlins 0. Barry: 0 HR so far.) First UHF TV station opens on this day in 1952. NASA is launched in 1958.

• Music industry tells Senate Committee that it will send letters asking for money or explanation before going to court. RIAA Chair Mitch Bainwol said the lawsuits got consumers' attention and established a deterrent. Senator Coleman responded, "Public floggings would get attention, too, but we don't do that." Moby says, sue me! but he's not volunteering for flogging.
• Palm releases three new handhelds, the Tungsten T3, E, and $100 Zire 21.
• Symantec issues its semi-annual Internet Security Threat Report. Says Web application vulnerabilities increased 12 percent, malicious codes were up 20 percent, and worms and viruses increased 19 percent. Infection speeds are higher. Dramatic increase in IM and P2P threats.
• OpenSSL reporting numerous vulnerabilities.
• Dutch government study shows that radiation from 3G mobile phone networks can cause headaches and nausea but does make you more alert!
• California regulators join Wisconsin and Minnesota in regulating Voice over IP providers. States say VoIP is just like any other telephone service. Providers moan and groan.
• Presidential candidate Wesley Clark says it's time to harness science. Says he believes we'll be able to exceed speed of light some day. " It's my only faith-based initiative." He also supports NASA. "America needs a dream and a space program." Says he'll fund research on warp drive. Just kidding.

Thursday News

Happy Thursday. Patrick and I will be flying to Atlanta tomorrow morning. We'll be appearing at the Lenox Square Mall, near Macy's, from 1-3p Saturday and Sunday. Happy Birthday to my close personal friend, Kelly Ripa. Groucho was born on this day in 1890. In the news today...

• Giants lose. A's win in 12. Entire state of Massachusetts oversleeps this morning.
• Microsoft acknowledges that piecemeal patches don't work, says it plans next week to "secure the perimeter." In other words, block attacks before they enter the system. Sounds like a beefed-up firewall to me.
• EFF white paper approves of most parts of Microsoft and Intel's Trusted Computing initiative (formerly Palladium and TCPA) but says remote attestation is a problem. Says users should be able to "lie" to remote rights owners.
• Microsoft agrees to pay $10.5 million to consumers who overpaid for software. But you must have purchased the software either through Microsoft's Web site between Feb. 22, 1999, and April 30, 2003, or through certain Microsoft direct marketing campaigns between Nov. 10, 1995, and April 30, 2003.

And in non-Microsoft news...

• All new PCs sold in Japan will come with pre-paid recycling.
• Congress plans streamlined sales tax rules that will make it easier for states to collect on Internet sales. (The current Internet tax prohibition specifically allows state sales taxes.)
• Napster 2.0 test launches in one week. Roxio licensed the Napster name, but the new service ain't free.
• Open Office 1.1 ships.