Morning Broadband Bytes - News from around the industry

Inside Todays Bytes:
•Around the Industry:
Wireless politics may determine future of digital democracy
Softbank broadband takes no prisoners
US still the major source of spam
Super 3G' technology proposed for next-gen cell phones
Wi-Fi still lags
•SecurityBits:
Symantec Patches 'High Risk' Flaws
Trojan slips through XP's back door•Get more news from around the industry and SecurityBits, plus TidBytes... inside!... .

Around The Industry:
•Wireless politics may determine future of digital democracy:
Broadband access and its wireless digital "ether" are giving rise to a new technological geography that defies spatial boundaries and historical precedent. The impending showdown between corporations and communities over new access technologies will determine whether the internet will become merely an "interactive commercial and advertising and movie and music machine" or the "central nervous system of our democracy."
•Softbank broadband takes no prisoners:
No matter how pesky the Bells may be, North American cable operators should thank their lucky stars they're not competing for broadband customers in Japan. That's because Softbank has taken over broadband in its home territory by offering innovative services, aggressively pitching its products, undercutting its rivals on prices and snapping up other companies. In just three short years, the company has already transformed itself into the largest broadband provider in Japan and the biggest VoIP operator in the world.
•US still the major source of spam:
Researchers at Sophos scanned all spam messages received at its global network of honeypots throughout 2004 month and at the top of the list was the United States, which is responsible for exporting 42.11% of all spam. The most broadband-connected country in the world, South Korea, has held tightly onto its position as the number 2 producer of spam.
•'Super 3G' technology proposed for next-gen cell phones:
26 companies from Asia, Europe and the United States have agreed to work on a unified data standard for next-generation cellular phones. The new technology, dubbed Super 3G, is said to capable of "almost instantaneously transmitting high-resolution video," the report said. Super 3G could hit the streets as early as 2009, according to the report. No other details were given in the report.
•Wi-Fi still lags:
When the evangelists for wireless disappear and are replaced by regular ol' folks complaining about their connection quality, you know that wireless has gone mainstream. That hasn't quite happened yet, although Wi-Fi has certainly become very convenient. Still, anytime-anywhere-wireless Internet access won't arrive until Internet service providers invest in WiMax technology, which can provide Internet access for an entire city with one piece of equipment.
•China Telecom to launch Internet TV:
China Telecom plans to launch large-scale Internet TV to enable subscribers to access TV programming via computers or other Internet terminals. "We'll open IPTV in most Chinese cities in 2005," said a China Telecom official. China Telecom has already launched IPTV in Shanghai. For existing TV stations, IPTV will greatly expand their influence, while non-TV media units will have a low-cost opportunity to enter a business free of traditional government control.
•SBC puts Wi-Fi in Coffee Bean stores:
SBC has been tapped to provide its FreedomLink Wi-Fi service at 144 Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf locations in Arizona, Nevada and California. SBC expects to make the service available to all stores by early 2005. SBC FreedomLink subscribers automatically will have unlimited access to the Internet while other customers will be able to buy a two-hour session for $3.95.
•Broadband for under £3 in Germany:
Internet users in Germany can now have a DSL line for as little as €3.99 per month. Germany's biggest ISP, T-Online, has launched its no-frills DSL brand Congster in a fight back against low-cost rivals. There is a catch: Congster is a stripped-down Internet access service, without an email address or SMTP access. More importantly, there is a monthly usage limit: for €3.99 per month you can get 2000 MB, and can buy 8000 MB for €12.99 per month. If you exceed the limit you pay 1.39c per megabyte.
•BPL testing expanded in North and South Carolina:
LecStar Telecom is expanding its partnership with Duke Energy Corp to test broadband over powerline service to up to 15,000 homes in central North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. Prior to the expansion, Duke and LecStar provided the service to about 80 homes. LecStar's president said the technology could become mainstream by the first quarter of 2006.
•Vegas airport offers free Wi-Fi access:
Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport next week will officially begin offering complimentary Wi-Fi access to the public. Parts of the network have been operating in test mode for the past several weeks, airport officials said. By Jan. 4, some 90 percent of the public areas in the airport will be covered by the new wireless local area network. McCarran—among the 15 busiest airports in the world—is the largest to offer the service at no cost to travelers.

SecurityBits:
•Symantec Patches 'High Risk' Flaws:
Symantec has rolled out fixes for three high-risk security holes in its Nexland Firewall appliances. The flaws could put users at risk of security bypass, manipulation of data and DoS attacks, according to Secunia, which rates the vulnerabilities as highly critical. Symantec confirmed that the vulnerabilities had been identified in the Symantec Firewall/VPN Appliance 100, 200 and 200R models. The Symantec Gateway Security 320, 360 and 360R are vulnerable to only two of the issues, which have been resolved.
•Trojan slips through XP's back door:
Symantec warned in an advisory this week that the program - dubbed "Phel", an anagram of "Help" - infects visitors to a maliciously created website through IE's Help controls. A bug in the malicious program may prevent it from infecting some computers, the security company said. The flaw is unrelated to the recent help-file flaws outed by a Chinese security company last week.

TidBytes:
•Ebay dumps Passport
•Computer companies to pay for pirates
•IBM: Sold-off PC unit was a money drain
•LCD Sales Rise, Custom Units Fade As Prices Fall
•Ambulances May Get Virtual Doctors
•A new iMac for under $500?

Computer companies to pay for pirates, WAAAA?

Re: Computer companies to pay for pirates, WAAAA?

Re: Computer companies to pay for pirates, WAAAA?

Re: Computer companies to pay for pirates, WAAAA?

Re: Computer companies to pay for pirates, WAAAA?

Vegas Airport Offers Free Wi-Fi Access

Ya right...

Sub-$500 Mac

gee whiz, I can't wait!

Re: gee whiz, I can't wait!

NIMBY

Re: gee whiz, I can't wait!


Saturday, 04-Jul 12:36:34	Terms of Use \| Privacy Policy \| Hosting by www.nac.net - DSL,Hosting & Co-lo \| feedback \| contact over 9.5 years online! © 1999-2009 dslreports.com.