NewsScan Daily, 7 October 2003 ("Above The Fold")

NewsScan Daily, 7 October 2003 ("Above The Fold")
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"ABOVE THE FOLD"
        Microsoft Drops LookSmart, Focuses on Its Own Search Tool
        Music Industry Crackdown Spawns 'Cyber-Speakeasies'
        Ultrafast Motors Drive 'Talking' Appliances
        Ninth Circuit Overrules FCC on Broadband Access Rules
        Vandals Steal Source Code of Popular Computer Game
        Criminals Go Where the Action Is: The Internet

FEATURES
        Flash Card
        Honorary Subscriber: William E. Boeing
        Mailbag: The World As We Find It

MICROSOFT DROPS LOOKSMART, FOCUSES ON ITS OWN SEARCH TOOL
Microsoft is not renewing its contract with LookSmart, which has been 
providing search results for Microsoft's MSN site. Instead, the software 
giant has launched its own search tool, MSNBot, and company officials say 
they plan to incorporate MSNBot into the next version of Windows, 
code-named "Longhorn." (CNet News.com 6 Oct 2003)
http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-5087489.html?tag=nefd_top

MUSIC INDUSTRY CRACKDOWN SPAWNS 'CYBER-SPEAKEASIES'
Music download enthusiasts are flocking to 21st century versions of 
"speakeasies" --high-tech clubs that offer encrypted software designed to 
shield users from identification and prosecution by a zealous recording 
industry. Coincidentally, the software now being served up may have broader 
appeal in the business world as well. "The software that users are moving 
toward, it has characteristics that businesses need -- which is a high 
degree of privacy, a high degree of security and the ability to handle 
large files," says New York University telecommunications professor Clay 
Shirky. "Thanks to the RIAA, ease of use surrounding encryption 
technologies, which was never a big deal before, is a big deal now." In 
addition to old favorites such as Kazaa and Morpheus, file-swappers are now 
turning to newer iterations, such as Blubster, which features both stronger 
privacy protection as well as easy-to-use encryption and decryption. 
Another program, called Waste, can be used to set up an encrypted 
instant-messaging and content-sharing network of 50 users, without the 
potential liability of a central server. And an offshoot of Freenet, dubbed 
Locutus, is targeting corporate users with its ability to search corporate 
networks for information distributed across a wide range of computers. 
"It's kind of like Google for people's hard disks, but with added security. 
You can define who has permission to find what kind of files," says Ian 
Clarke, who heads up Freenet and Locutus parent Cematics. (AP/CNN.com 6 Oct 
2003)
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/10/06/underground.internet.ap/index.ht 
ml

ULTRAFAST MOTORS DRIVE 'TALKING' APPLIANCES
James Dyson, inventor of the bagless "dual cyclone" vacuum cleaner, says 
the cheap-but-ultrafast motors developed for next-generation models have 
enough computing power left over to create "intelligent" appliances that 
can make their own diagnostic calls to manufacturers when something goes 
wrong. "When something's broken the call center always wants to know the 
serial number and model number -- and you've never got it to hand," says 
Dyson. "But with this technology, you will simply hold down the vacuum's 
'on' button and put the telephone receiver next to a speaker, and in our 
call center here we'll get the entire history of the machine's motor, what 
model it is, when it was built and what temperature conditions it's been 
used in." Dyson's prototype X020 vacuum cleaner boasts a "switched 
reluctance" motor that runs at an ultrafast 100,00 revolutions per minute, 
requiring a small eight-bit microcomputer chip to control it. In order to 
exploit the spare memory in that chip, engineers came up with the ideal of 
storing information that could then be phoned into a repair center. (New 
Scientist 5 Oct 2003)
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994234

NINTH CIRCUIT OVERRULES FCC ON BROADBAND ACCESS RULES
In San Francisco, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth 
Circuit has overruled an FCC decision that released cable companies from 
any obligation to make their broadband networks accessible to competitors. 
An executive of Earthlink, the nation's second-largest Internet service 
provider, says: "This will help drive prices down and quality of service 
up; it will drive broadband deployment." But FCC chairman Michael K. Powell 
says the Commission will appeal the court's decision, because he thinks it 
will hurt efforts to develop a national policy on high-speed Internet 
services. (New York Times 7 Oct 2003)
http://partners.nytimes.com/2003/10/07/technology/07CABL.html

VANDALS STEAL SOURCE CODE OF POPULAR COMPUTER GAME
Network vandals have stolen the source code of the new computer game 
"Half-Life 2" and are circulating it on the Internet. The company that owns 
the game spent five years developing it, a fact that prompted Dave Kosak, 
executive editor of GameSpy.com, an online gaming service provider, to see 
the silver lining in this criminal act, which is that it "points out that 
game developers have really valuable property. They spend years coding this 
engine, and the bigger you are, the bigger target you are.'' (AP/San Jose 
Mercury News 7 Oct 2003)
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/6953147.htm

CRIMINALS GO WHERE THE ACTION IS: THE INTERNET
Len Hynds, the head of Britain's National Hi-tech Crime Unit (NHTCU), says 
that organized crime syndicates have stepped up their presence on the 
Internet, operating extortion rackets, child pornography rings and 
elaborate financial scams: "Organized crime is turning to the weakest 
element in the chain, which is the people. It's the hands on the keyboard 
on either end of the transaction that is the actual weak point. Organized 
crime in all its guises is extremely flexible. It does spot the new and 
lucrative opportunity." One urgent problem is the increase in child 
pornography online, and Hynds says his group is taking the problem very 
seriously: "We are focusing on the organized groups that are making money 
out of peddling child pornography on the Internet. We are doing that in 
partnership with business and industry. We've deployed officers from this 
office overseas to physically remove children to places of safety." (USA 
Today 7 Oct 2003)
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-10-07-cybercrime_x.htm

*****

FLASH CARD
      "People only see what they are prepared to see." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

HONORARY SUBSCRIBER: WILLIAM E. BOEING
      Today's Honorary Subscriber is the aircraft manufacturer William 
Edward Boeing (1881-1956), whose casual interest in flying during the early 
days of aviation led him over time to found the Boeing Airplane Company 
that became today's aerospace industry giant.
      While being taught to fly in 1911, Boeing -- a northwest coast lumber 
businessman -- became convinced that the airplane had a future as a means 
of transportation. In 1916 he organized the Pacific Aero Products 
Corporation and brought out two successful planes. A contract with the U.S. 
Navy for 50 trainer airplanes, and a post World War I order from the Army 
Air Services for 200 pursuit plans assured the future of his company, whose 
name was then changed to Boeing.
      In 1919, carrying Boeing as a passenger in one of his planes, pioneer 
aviator Eddie Hubbard flew the first air mail route between Vancouver 
British Columbia and Seattle. By 1928, the Boeing Company had become one of 
the largest U.S. aircraft manufacturers, and was deeply involved with air 
transportation as well. Under his direction, Boeing Air Transport became 
the first to fly passengers at night on regular schedules and long 
distances. Boeing retired from the aviation industry in 1934, but returned 
in World War II to assist the nation meet its military production requirements.
      William Boeing was born in Detroit Michigan. His father had migrated 
to America where he made a fortune as a timber baron, purchasing an immense 
region of the Mesabi Range rich in iron and pine. Boeing entered Yale's 
Sheffield Scientific School with the class of 1904, but left before his 
final year to establish his own successful timber business in Washington 
State. His success in the timber business provided him with the financial 
independence that allowed him to embark on his various aviation ventures.
      When Depression era legislation in 1934 forced corporate 
dismemberment of the larger aviation companies, Boeing sold his interests 
in the Boeing Airplane Company, and moved on to pursue other business 
ventures. He also became one of America's most successful breeders of 
thoroughbred horses. But he never lost his interest in aviation, and during 
World War II he volunteered as a consultant to the company. He lived until 
1956, long enough to see the company he started enter the jet age.

See 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0516270125/newsscancom/ref=nosim 
for a biography of Boeing by Sharlene P. Nelson -- or look for it in your 
favorite library. (We donate all revenue from our book recommendations to 
adult literacy programs.)

MAILBAG: THE WORLD AS WE FIND IT

OLD FRIENDS ARE FINE, AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT SPAMMERS
Re: http://www.newsscan.com/cgi-bin/findit_view?table=newsletter&id=9337
      I don't think this is going to be a smart idea, since we will need to 
add every person known in our list, but the most important point: What if 
an old friend that never contacted us before decide to drop us a line? The 
cure could be worse than the sickness. (Ricardo Cerezo)

FINDING THE GOOD GUYS IS THE WAY TO SOLVE SPAM PROBLEM
Re: http://www.newsscan.com/cgi-bin/findit_view?table=newsletter&id=9337
      Finally, someone knows how to get it right! Turning the spam problem 
on its head and finding ways to identify the good guys is the answer. (John 
McNulty, Halifax)

SIMPLE SPAM SOLUTIONS SIMPLY INSUFFICIENT
Re: http://www.newsscan.com/cgi-bin/findit_view?table=newsletter&id=9289
      Mr. McPhail's 'simple' solution to spam has a few holes.  First of 
all, the majority of spam is not sent through a traditional ISP. Spammers, 
especially large spammers, lease data lines (such as T1s) from a local or 
national carrier such as SBC, AT&T or WorldCom. They have their own mail 
servers so their spam is not routed through an ISP-owned mail server. So it 
is not a simple matter of registering every ISP with this 'association' but 
every major phone/data carrier, not to mention the dozens or hundreds of 
third party data carriers in the US alone. Second, legitimate corporations 
do the same thing. Does he honestly think Microsoft, Geico Insurance, ABC 
Television and General Motors route their email through an ISP's mail 
server? So you have to go a step further and certify every registered 
Internet domain.  Finally, what is stop those very same large corporations 
from sending out spam-like email as a part of legitimate consumer 
communication? 90% advertisements and 10% product recall information. Try 
stopping that and you start harming consumers more than you are helping them.
      Why hasn't a solution this simple been implemented before now? 
Because it's not so simple. (Patrick Walther)

QUOTING VENDORS SHATTERS OUR CREDIBILITY
Re: http://www.newsscan.com/cgi-bin/findit_view?table=newsletter&id=9321
      So some person with a vendor says this, it's gospel. My colleague 
Terri and I wrote about this in late 2001, and were published in the 
Handbook of Information Security Management volume 4 chapter 32, which came 
out in January of 2003. You shatter your credibility by using self-serving 
vendor quotes. (Ralph Hofelmeyer)

FLY ME TO THE SUN, LET ME MELT AMONG THE STARS
Re: http://www.newsscan.com/cgi-bin/findit_view?table=newsletter&id=9329
      Regarding the story "U. of Florida Pulls the Plug on P2P Users," I 
say "Icarus" indeed. Are they trying to stop students from flying to the 
sun or do they think that their own beeswaxed wings will make them soar? Or 
is it just that Florida's closer to the equator than most of the U.S.? 
(Derek Davis)

PROTECTING HIGH-TECH JOBS
Re: http://www.newsscan.com/cgi-bin/findit_view?table=newsletter&id=9313
      It bothered me to see the "Visa Reduction Adversely Impacts High-Tech 
Recruitment" line on the story about H-1B visa reductions. The story quotes 
sources that believe that statement is true, but I think that there are 
many unemployed American "high-tech" engineers that would like their jobs 
back and are happy to see the possibilities implied by the reduction of 
H-1Bs. Of course, moving the whole operation to India wouldn't help them, 
but our government doesn't seem to care when it eliminates the unemployed 
who have given up from their unemployment statistics. (Bob Schuchman)

PATENTS AND COPYRIGHTS: A LESSON FROM THE APES
Re: http://www.newsscan.com/cgi-bin/findit_view?table=newsletter&id=9273
      Your recent excerpt from Dale Peterson's "Eating Apes" is the best 
argument against the patent and copyright system. If all the best ideas and 
products produced by human beings are really the collective effort of many 
people, then why should only a few of them get to be rewarded with so much? 
If the indigenous people living in jungles or desert did not tell the 
scientists the medicinal property of some plants, how do the scientists 
know where to look? If Bill Gates did not get the idea for Windows from 
Steve Jobs, who in turn got it from other scientists, how could he have 
built Microsoft? May be we should dismantle the patent and copyright 
system, and spread the wealth around to all the people who rightfully 
deserve them... Thanks for running these thought-provoking ideas in 
NewsScan Daily. (James Chu)

BAD NEWS DAY
Re: 
http://www.newsscan.com/cgi-bin/findit_view?table=newsletter&dateissued=2003 
1003
      Today's NewsScan Daily was full of bad news from weird sources. Are 
ya'll having a bad day? Give us something sweet and beautiful to think 
about, and go back to the old ways. Too much news about intellectual 
property restrictions is not just worrisome, but bad for the intellect 
itself. ;) ...  Thanks for NewsScan. (Jonathan Magid)

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