Heavy
hitting Yahoo! News Features Leave New York
Times Scrambling
NEW YORK — The editorial
board of the venerable newspaper that has long
thrived as the purveyor of “All the news
that’s fit to print” called an emergency
meeting last week to confront the growing problem
of disillusionment in readers who have traded
up for harder-hitting news sources in an increasingly
diversified online environment of competent journalism.
Yahoo!’s headlines on its homepage have
begun to take the lion’s share of readers
away from this 157 year old New York institution
of news, with effective news headlines catering
to America’s growing concerns for itself.
“Does the color of candy influence how much
you eat?” headlined a October 25th Yahoo!
feature section under the banners of other resources
linking viewers to relevant matters such as Entertainment,
Sports and Life issues.
Click
Here for complete article
SPAM
Scams
-
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission reports
that 1 in 6 Americans were victim of fraud last
year .... More and more often these victims are
getting scammed on the Internet, but it's not
just the desperate who are suffering in the digital
age. While reading this article, someone, somewhere
is designing a Pay Pal website on which you might
be asked to update your information.
Click Here for complete article
Webmasters
For All
In 1997 the cost
for a professionally built website began at ten
or twenty thousand dollars, not including e-Commerce
.... Today, that type thinking and a dollar-fifty
will get you a ride on the bus .... But for $500
and a small amount of time, a business can publish
a website and fulfill the four necessities for
a small business website: Identity, Mission, Function
and Reference.
Click Here for complete article
Beating
Airport Security
Getting
your ticket and passing through airport security
with speed and dexterity separates the adept traveler
from the amateur tourist .... After
stepping through the framed metal detector, my
cover was blown as a bulb beamed red overhead
and a siren went up. A pair of uniformed men mobilized
and pointed the way to the side.
I looked back at
a businessman take off his shoes and place them
in the plastic tray for scanning. The flight attendant
smiled and pursued him toward the boarding area.
Click Here for complete article
Almond
Thieves are Terrorists -
10/09/2006
http://newyorktimes.com/...
RIPON, Calif. — For many, it’s just
another indication of a total failure in local
government’s ability to deal with terrorist
elements dominating local and national newspapers
in recent weeks. For almond farmer and industry
advocate Charlie Jiff, it points to the broader
issue of border security and ongoing debates about
what to do about an influx of illegal immigrants
that often include Middle-Eastern fundamentalists.
Mr. Jiff points to a rash of heists in this quaint
western farming community on the outskirts of
urban sprawl and million-dollar vacation homes
catering to those seeking refuge from California’s
frenetic cities.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist
to know that America’s most precious jewels
are dangling from foraged trees under siege,”
he said during an impromptu gathering at a local
coffee shop. Across Central Valley on 18 of 27
almond farms, the wrath of political desperados
capitalizing on lack security and what many believe
is the federal government’s unwillingness
to deal harshly with obvious turmoil has resulted
in no arrests and general head-scratching by law
abiding citizens powerless to counter the attacks.
Terrorists made off with more than 88,000 pounds
of premium, shelled almonds, with a street value
of some $260,000 (See
New York Times – Oct. 3, 2006).
A sophisticated network of almond thieves referred
to by local farmers as “nut-nappers”
have orchestrated a series of overt gender-targeted
robberies.
“Our nuts are under siege by terrorists
who want to compromise traditional American values
of freedom and prosperity,” commented Peter
Franton, a spokesman for the US Department of
Agriculture. “We’re actively concerned
with corruption and infiltration on any and all
farms.”
|
Yahoo!
'Professional Web-
10/09/06
http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/...
Yahoo! is the king of the
individual experience on the web, but recent attempts
to delve into the web hosting business have left
some small businesses high and dry. Take for instance
a customer who wants to host her email service
on her own server, but needs a robust, external
service to host the website. "No can do,"
says the Yahoo! help desk after she commits her
credit card to the order. That's because the company
does not offer a dedicated IP address for any
of the web hosting packages. The most robust plan
costs $39.95/month, but doesn't offer a dedicated
IP address, nor do they have the capacity to upgrade
the account to add one.
There's three potential reasons
Yahoo! keeps their "Anti-dedicated IP address
policy":
- Implement a business strategy whereby gaining
control of customers' domain names, by insisting
to be Registrar, will give Yahoo! better leverage
and stengthen control of the users' future hosting
requirements.
- Too cheap to offer it on their "Professional
Package" and too incompetent to know how
to charge customers extra to enhance the plan.
- Don't really want Small Business clients.
Be warned that Yahoo! charges a
$25.00 activation on top of the monthly charges.
However, they will refund you that month's hosting
fee.
In review, keep using their free
email services, but when it comes to web hosting,
read their fine print closely, and use professional
business services from a company geared toward
technology, not just pedantic email services.
|
Regulate
Internet auctions? -
7/25
http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/...
While supermarket tabloids
exploit America's fear of terrorism, it is worthwhile
to examine the reality of just what is being traded
through the Internet. Stolen goods are one thing,
but what about bomb-making materials or good old
fashioned firearms? eBay has avoided government
regulation by employing a system of checks and balances
while restricting what can be sold through their
website; in truth, it's the users who check out
the listings and contact the company if a banned
substance is being sold. Sooner or later, however,
someone is going to sell, or at least try to sell,
a banned substance that's going to usher in tighter
regulations for online vendors. |
Counterfeiters
target money orders
- 5/4
http://www.nytimes.com/...
It is worthy to note the
bad notes circulating on the Internet, specifically
the tried and true currency being counterfeited
by scoundrels duping well-intentioned people out
of real money. The scenario goes like this: I
live in a third-world country and can't buy a
laptop computer, but I'll send you a money order
to cover the cost of one and you mail me the computer.
The mail order you receive is easily deposited
at your participating bank and you send the computer
thinking everyone has lived up to their part of
the deal. A week later the bank calls to tell
you that the money order was bogus. A fake hundred
dollar bill is caught at a bank immediately, but
the money order may not be. Watch out!
|
Academics
turn to blogs for feedback
- 5/3
http://www.villagevoice.com/...
"I've published a
bunch of articles in law reviews, and I think
I've gotten maybe a total of 10 letters about
them in the history of my career as an academic,"
says Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig, who
blogs at lessig.org.
"I publish stuff on the blog, I get literally
hundreds of e-mails about things all the time."
Mr. Lessig understands how critical blog readers
can be, but he's willing to stick his neck out
and give a larger and more critical audience access
to his work. The truth of the matter is that most
academics DON'T want feedback on their work because
they fear the petty minds can't possibly construct
criticism that's helpful to their cause. Elitism
has always plagued academia, so it's good to hear
about people like Mr. Lessig who have faith in
the collective cause of advancing knowledge while
making accessible to everyone.
|
Websites
offer rounded look at America
- 4/21
http://www.watchingamerica.com/...
Keeping tabs on other countries
who are keeping tabs on America has been a depressing
endeavor lately—or has it? Liberals have
blamed conservatives for creating hate for America
following the unilateral invasion of Iraq, and
conservatives have blamed liberals for not defending
freedom by listening to what other countries think.
Perhaps the polarized country should stop pointing
fingers and see that, in fact, the world doesn't
hate us but takes a decidedly journalistic view
of what's going on. Just don't read the editorial
pages.
|
Dual-band
phones offer unlimited roaming
- 4/20
http://www.cnet.com/...
Sure, analogue service
is old school and often sacrifices audio quality,
but for those of us who find themselves far from
the city and desperately needing to make and receive
phone calls—analogue services is a lifesaver.
Advanced Mobile Phone Service, or AMPS, can come
in handy despite it's expensive service fees;
nevertheless, when making that important call
to secure the deal it can be peanuts compared
to losing the sale! Digital technologies such
as GSM and CDMA are standard on most phones today,
but make sure that AMPS function is also an option
when buying your next phone.
|
Search
engine offers hope for fans of stars
- 4/19
http://www.findagrave.com/...
Words such as "macabre"
or "tacky" come to mind when a website
exploits the deaths of the famous, but a feature
on this site lets visitors sign their condolences
on the pages of their dearly departed, and entries
are as sentimental as they come. One entry for
the late and great NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt,
Sr. follows:
To the Intimidator, Even to
this day i still can`t root for any other nascar
driver or drivers. You are the reason I became
a fan. Your still so sorely missed by millions
#3 will live on Forever in are hearts FOREVER
A FAN, FOREVER MISSED #3 FOREVER Rest in peace
my friend. God bless you and yours Sir - Jimmie
C
|
U.K.
grapples with cheating in classroom
- 4/18
http://www.silicon.com/...
Perhaps America could take
some advice from the crown when it comes to clamping
down on cheating in the classroom using mobile
telephones and similar wireless devices. 284 children
were banned from A-levels and GCSEs by the Assessment
and Qualifications Alliance, UK's largest exam
board, with many others receiving penalties including
having marks docked from their exams. The time
has come for electronic devices to be banned from
the classroom—at least those not approved
by teachers. "Crip" sheets have gone
high-tech and it's time to implement a zero-tolerance
policy with phones in the classroom.
|
AirScooter
II latest gadget to hit market
- 4/15
http://airscooter.serverbox.net/...
Priced at under $50,000
for the average citizen who doesn't have a pilot's
license, this double rotor aircraft weighs less
than 300 lbs. and packs enough punch to cruise
along at more than 50 knots. "What we've
done is package the coaxial design in a modern
light-weight craft that allows for intuitive control
and incredible maneuverability," says Inventor
Woody Norris. If they have their way the AirScooter
II will be parked in every garage. No word yet
from the FAA says about the device's safety—or
what it's potential will be in the hands of terrorists.
Sounds like a good way to find an early grave
either way one looks at it.
|
Philadelphia
to be biggest Wi-Fi in U.S.
- 4/14
http://www.news.yahoo.com/...
"People are watching
all over the world to determine whether a city
of 135 square miles can become one big hot spot,"
Philadelphia Mayor John Street told reporters.
But to start, for under $20/month users can subscribe
to Wi-Fi service within a radius of about a mile
of downtown's Love Park. The mayor has grand intentions
to bloom city-wide, which sounds like a great
idea until overloaded log-ins crash the network.
It remains to be seen just how they'll manage
the load.
|
Googling
self? Don't forget the pictures
- 4/13
http://www.google.com/...
It's a common practice
placing quotation marks around a name to see if
success reflects that person. Of course we never
do this to ourselves—that might be considered
vain! But for the curious and privacy paranoid,
the biggest search engine on the Internet also
offers a feature that lets you search for images
using the same method. On a lighter note, Googling
yourself to see the pictures of those who have
your name might also be interesting if not a little
weird.
|
Spammer
gets his due
- 4/12
http://www.latimes.com/...
It's music to our ears
when someone is finally prosecuted for sending
out dastardly SPAM. Jeremy Jaynes of Raleigh,
N.C. was sentenced to nine years for sending out
millions of emails daily. But the nation's first
felony conviction will have to wait; the sentence
is suspended pending his appeals.
|
'City
that Never Sleeps' goes Wi-Fi
- 4/11
http://www.newyork.citysearch.com/...
With more than 60,000 visitors
to its streets everyday, New York City is the
most visited city in the United States and one
of the most visited in the world. With all those
tourists it's no wonder that competition has been
fierce in hotels and cafes to get them in and
buying their services. Many are now offering free
wireless Internet connections, or "Wi-Fi",
lending cards to insert into a laptop computer
during the stay. Here's a list to get you started
during your next visit: Click
Here
|
Butter
Couple compares couples
- 4/8
http://www.buttercouple.com/...
If you've ever wondered how superficially compatible
you are with the opposite sex, then why not upload
your photograph to buttercouple.com and see how
the masses rate your mug next to the girl next
door? Perhaps you're looking at pictures of your
next date and thinking they're not good enough
for you? Take the buttercouple.com test and see
how your own ego ranks against the collective
opinions of Internet users everywhere.
|
Modem
Hijacking for long distance calls on rise
- 4/7
http://www.usatoday.com/...
For the grandfathers still stuck with dial-up
Internet connections, there's yet another reason
to upgrade to high-speed connections. It seems
that a few scammers have figured out how to trick
users into clicking on a banner ad that downloads
software which, in turn, makes international phone
calls at the expense of the user. The problem
is serious enough for New York lawmakers to unveil
a bill that would allow telephone companies to
prosecute these scammers.
|
Three
steps to building your own blog
- 4/6
http://www.blogger.com/...
It goes without saying that if you want respect
on the Internet for your opinions, then you've
gotta produce an online version of your opinions—web
log, referred to as a "blog." Many believe
that this form of online journalism will eventually
replace traditional forms of journalism. While
that seems a stretch, there's no doubt that the
blog has uncovered the truth behind the traditional
journalists in recent years, including the infamous
"Rather-gate" scandal leading up to
the last Presidential election. Since it's free
to create one, why not put your two-cents in and
start your own blog today?
|
Google
looks into your own backyard, really!
- 4/5
http://www.google.com/...
Privacy advocates have
a new villain to go after in their losing battle
against the ever-expanding Internet. With satellite
images that let users zoom in on physical properties,
these advocates suspect http://maps.google.com
might allow users too much access
to their lives. However, nobody has yet to point
out exactly what a bird's eye perspective of his
property will compromise in the way of privacy.
Sunbathers beware?
|
Top
ten gadgets advertised on CNET
- 4/4
http://www.cnet.com/...
The electronics world continues to expand as prices
for amazing things we don't need continue to drop.
People are doubling up on the number of MP3 players
in their possession and it no longer suffices
to have just one computer either. Video games
can be played on phones, computers and televisions,
and digital cameras have been integrated on watches.
This list reminds is a reminder to techies of
the things they really don't need but will end
up buying anyway.
|
Video
camera/phone hits market
- 4/1
http://www.pcworld.com/...
For those of us who are impatiently waiting for
the all-inclusive cell phone that includes camera,
MP3 player, Palm Pilot, email station and kitchen
sink, the PH-L4000V from Pantech&Curitel deserves
attention for their strides in bringing to market
the first bona fide video camera/phone. Although
its quality is not quite that of other cameras,
it's good to know that strides are being made
on the elusive request for the all inclusive,
Swiss Pocket Knife of phones. Web geeks everywhere
applaud.
|
Computers
for the poorest proves a bad idea
- 3/31
http://www.yahoo.com/...
God bless the techies who think up these things,
but when are they going to realize that computers
cannot help poor villages where the basest needs
are for food and drink? Throwing technology at
poverty will do little to help the world other
than making a few people feel better about themselves
for offering "affordable computing solutions."
They should have gone into the bio-sciences to
develop better crops.
|
Government
threatens to regulate blogs
- 3/30
http://www.news.com/...
While campaign finance laws seem to have overwhelming
support by most citizens in the United States,
bring up the idea of regulating it on the Internet
and people quickly change opinion on the subject.
The six members of the Federal Election Commission
are exploring ways to restrict emails, bloggers
and websites from engaging in politics outside
the realm of legislated rules that limit how and
where endorsements for political causes originate.
Think it can't be done? Think again.
|
Pez
dispensers to dispense MP3s
- 3/29
http://www.zdnet.com/...
Leave it to America to evolve a traditional candy
dispenser into a cutting edge music storage device.
Ever since the rock band U2 was featured on Apple's
iPod device, companies have worked to mimic the
commercialization of the mundane MP3 player. With
the new 'Star Wars' movie on the way, the Yoda
dispensers promise to take this trend to a new
level.
|
Online
file sharing tested in Supreme Court -
3/28
http://www.newsfactor.com/...
Stopping the tide in this age of piracy is becoming
the top priority of companies whose profits rely
on individuals buying individual copies of compact
discs with music or movies. Critics say legislating
software that enables users to share media freely
over the Internet is a losing battle, but lawyers
bringing this recent suit contend it is important
to clamp down on "... networks of members
whose only common characteristic is apparently
their desire to download copyrighted music and
movie files without paying for them." Courts
will most assuredly attempt to stem the tide of
this era of piracy being ushered in, but the question
remains: Does the law have enough power to find
the many thousands of networks on the Internet
and terminate those they deem illegal?
|
Web
titans compete, free space increases
- 3/26
http://www.yahoo.com/...
First the buzz was about Google offering Gmail
users with a whopping one gigabyte of storage
space and all Yahoo! could do was increase their
allotment for email customers to a measly 250
megabytes—unless you're one of those with
money to burn and spent 20 bucks/year for 2 gigabytes
and other added features. Beginning in late April
Yahoo! will match Google by increasing mailboxes
to 1 Gigabyte. Increased files sizes for photos
and other monstrous files require it, says Yahoo!.
Hotmail still offers 250 megabytes to its customers
but will probably file in line soon enough. When
it comes to email it remains that the best things
online are free!
|
Wireless
access replacing cyber-cafes
- 3/25
http://www.wi-fihotspotlist.com/...
The next generation of Internet connections is
spawning and available to anyone with a wireless
modem. These "Wi-Fi Hotspots" are located
throughout the world and Wi-Fi Planet has a search
engine that can assist in finding one near you.
While wireless connections may be commandeered
through open-access portals, some companies require
daily or monthly fees for accessing their signals.
|
Adult
Webmaster Culture
- 3/24
http://www.fukin-a.com/...
It's commonly said
that the only webmasters making any money off
the Internet are the porn site operators. Many
of these "Cyber-pimps" meet up each
January in Nevada's Sin City to bear witness to
online porn strategy ... only that's not all that's
being bared at these seminars. Defenders say they
not only discuss ways to increase traffic on their
websites, but how to prevent underage exploits
from occurring within their realms. Porn opponents
say this kind of business is a shame.
|
| ICANN:
where domain names are disputed -
3/23
http://www.icann.org/...
There's a special
organization which devotes its time to mediating
disputes between trademark holders and those who
infringe upon their names. For instance, a cyber-squatter
might register "Paypalnow.com" and use
this name to their own design separate from the
official Paypal.com business. Those who believe
their company's name is being misappropriated
must file legal papers in their respective districts,
but since most municipals don't know the ins and
outs of this new realm called Internet Law, it
falls to ICANN to take over and sort out the mess.
A list of Proceedings
by Domain Name is available on their website
as well as instructions on how to file a complaint.
|
| Most
popular words announced by dictionary -
3/22
http://www.merriam-webmaster.com/...
Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year
have been announced, and it should be no surprise
that the word blog tops the list as the
most looked up word on the Internet. It should
also be little surprise that political terms garnered
many of the other top ten spots, including insurgent,
electoral and partisan. While dictionary.com
is the easiest to remember for looking up words
online, they charge a fee for membership to access
added features like audio pronunciations of a
word. Merriam-Webster currently offers this service
for free.
|
| Students'
websites steeped in networking -
3/21
http://www.thefacebook.com/...
College is the place
where many learn the fine art of procrastination.
Social networks offer an alternative to schoolwork.
The Internet has become the temptation of choice,
so easy to open up a website and socialize. TheFaceBook.com
is the hottest site for killing time in college,
a site where students manage their own social
identities while networking with others. Population
contests are nothing new, but this online environment
allows students to manage their own identities
while endorsing others. Managing cyber-personas
is the new distraction of choice for college freshmen—it's
different because they've moved beyond posting
personal information on the Internet in search
for love, now they're looking for acceptance in
the broader sense of community.
|
| Evolution
of browser welcomed by many
http://www.pcworld.com/...
Those fed up with
the browser standard—namely, Microsoft's
Internet Explorer—can't complain any longer
these days since new browsers are now readily
available (and better at what they do). Surfing
multiple websites in split windows (instead of
cascading windows on top of one another) has been
a major innovation in design, and speed issues
are supposedly addressed in these new software
platformsl. How about the cost? Well, for now,
most of the new browsers such as Opera and Firefox
have free versions available for download. What
are you waiting for?
|
| Webmasters
out, Metrosexuals in
http://www.metrosexual.com/...
Metrosexual: "A straight, usually
heterosexual urban man, with a keen interest in
fashion, shopping and elaborate grooming, who
is really passionate about clothing and body hair,
sometimes wears make up and nail polish, a man
with refined aesthetic sense, not afraid to exhibit
his feminine sides."
|
| Yahoo!
offers new job search section
http://www.yahoo.com/...
With Monster.com
and Hotjobs.com obtaining the major portion of
online searchable databases for available jobs,
it's a wonder it took this long for Yahoo! to
get aggressive about garnering its share of this
ever-growing market. Nearly half of all job searches
in the United States are conducted using a job
board on the Internet. The job-advertising service
on Yahoo! will cost companies between $39 and
$275 per listing, depending on geography and the
number of listings purchased.
|
| Google
integrates libraries into searches
http://www.sfgate.com/...
Soothsayer have long
been fans of saying that the Internet would replace
the need for traditional libraries. Google has
announced that it will team up with 5 major libraries,
including Harvard and Stanford, to scan in books
for placement on the Internet, made searchable
through their search engine. Google says they
will scan in more than 15 million books
to start. Legally, the task is relatively easy
for books published before 1923. Such books are
no longer protected by copyright law and are in
the public domain. Newer books are more problematic.
Google must get permission from the publishers
to reproduce the books online.
|
| Cell
Phones may get go ahead on airplanes
http://www.cnn.com/...
Chatting it up with
the person sitting next to you on an airplane
might get a little harder if the FCC decides that
using them on commercial airlines doesn't interfere
with navigation systems. Questions of etiquette
aside, there's no reason why one shouldn't be
able to use a cell phone while flying, that is
if a signal can carry that high in the sky, considering
there is little evidence supporting that they
interfere with pilots' transmissions. Nevertheless,
there is the question of etiquette.
|
| Online
smoking breaks provide fix
http://www.lottridge.com/...
The guilt-free cigarette
is now available for consumption on the Internet.
The classic argument concerning the physical/psychological
addiction of nicotine may, at last, be proven
with this new online virtual smoking test. Choose
menthol or regular, king size or slim, then smoke
up!
|
| Desperate
airlines implement fees
http://www.americanairlines.com/...
With commercial airlines
such as US Airway and Delta begging more money
to avoid impending bankruptcy, the pressure's
on traditional commercial airliners to cut expenses
or face demise. (Remember Eastern Airlines and
Pan Am?) In a once heavily government subsidized
industry, now airlines are forced to make changes
to their business models by following the example
of discount airlines—such as Jet Blue—whose
innovative business models are way ahead of the
learning curve. Travel website foes beware ...
airlines are beginning $5 - $10 service charges
for each ticket bought over the phone or at a
service desk. Use the Internet for all your ticket
purchases or pay the price!
|
| Surrogate
Tourism
http://www.vainglory.com/...
Surrogate Tourism
is the hottest rage. In this ridiculous online
journal based on the children's book Flat Stanley,
one little girl's trip through the city that never
sleeps provides a comic look into how a webmaster
can befriend a paper doll and document their adventures
together.
|
| Zoot
Suits and Bongos
http://www.theatredance.com/...
This Hipster's Dictionary
claims to be the copasetic compendium of hep cat
hype and swing-era slang that some say is the
new way to speak in the webmaster culture. Perhaps
it's time to revisit an era when the beatniks
ushered in the peacenik movement?
|
| Adult
Webmaster Culture
-
12/9
http://www.fukin-a.com/...
It's commonly said
that the only webmasters making any money off
the Internet are the porn site operators. Many
of these "Cyber-pimps" meet up each
January in Nevada's Sin City to bear witness to
online porn strategy ... only that's not all that's
being bared at these seminars. Defenders say they
not only discuss ways to increase traffic on their
websites, but how to prevent underage exploits
from occurring within their realms. Porn opponents
say this kind of business is a shame.
|
| High
maintenance girl offers no privileges
- 12/8
http://www.news.yahoo.com/...
Ever been in a relationship where no matter
how many times you compliment her hair and shoes,
or tell her, "No, you don't look fat in that
dress," she just keeps expecting more and
more attention? There's something programmed in
some guys advertising "Suck me dry!"
to the high-maintenance girls of the world. Exploiting
these fellows is a Hong Kong company that's betting
their "virtual girlfriend" will match
any material girl's demands. She responds to voice
and text messages and appears on the screen of
your phone to demand flowers and jewelry. If she's
neglected she won't respond to you. Question is:
Where's the lovin'?
|
Free
long distance over Internet: It's here!
- 12/7
http://www.pcworld.com/...
Put that high-speed
Internet connection to work for something other
than surfing the net and checking email. Although
software still remains buggy, there's a growing
community of users employing this new technology
which can provide everything you need to know to
get your telephone connected to the Internet. Remember
when dial-up Internet access cost money for each
minute spent online? Look forward to the day in
the near future when long-distance phone charges
go by the wayside, just the same.
|
| Red
Roof Inn goes Wi-Fi
- 12/6
http://www.yahoo.com/...
Because it's tough to get
high speed access while traveling, the
necessitous web professional often must check
into a high class hotel for a decent connection.
Forget that, says Red Roof Inns. They've contracted
T-Mobile to outfit each of their motels with the
wireless connection one needs to get a laptop
online, free to T-Mobile subscribers and $10/day
for others. Need to download a big attachment
during a business trip in your car? Just pull
into the parking lot of one of their hotels and
power-up your T-Mobile connection, or try sitting
in the lobby for your Internet session at this
nominal fee. You don't even have to check into
a room.
|
| ICANN:
where domain names are disputed -
12/3
http://www.icann.org/...
There's a special
organization which devotes its time to mediating
disputes between trademark holders and those who
infringe upon their names. For instance, a cyber-squatter
might register "Paypalnow.com" and use
this name to their own design separate from the
official Paypal.com business. Those who believe
their company's name is being misappropriated
must file legal papers in their respective districts,
but since most municipals don't know the ins and
outs of this new realm called Internet Law, it
falls to ICANN to take over and sort out the mess.
A list of Proceedings
by Domain Name is available on their website
as well as instructions on how to file a complaint.
|
| Most
popular words announced by dictionary -
12/2
http://www.merriam-webmaster.com/...
Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year
have been announced, and it should be no surprise
that the word blog tops the list as the
most looked up word on the Internet. It should
also be little surprise that political terms garnered
many of the other top ten spots, including insurgent,
electoral and partisan. While dictionary.com
is the easiest to remember for looking up words
online, they charge a fee for membership to access
added features like audio pronunciations of a
word. Merriam-Webster currently offers this service
for free.
|
| Students'
websites steeped in networking -
12/1
http://www.thefacebook.com/...
College is the place
where many learn the fine art of procrastination.
Social networks offer an alternative to schoolwork.
The Internet has become the temptation of choice,
so easy to open up a website and socialize. TheFaceBook.com
is the hottest site for killing time in college,
a site where students manage their own social
identities while networking with others. Population
contests are nothing new, but this online environment
allows students to manage their own identities
while endorsing others. Managing cyber-personas
is the new distraction of choice for college freshmen—it's
different because they've moved beyond posting
personal information on the Internet in search
for love, now they're looking for acceptance in
the broader sense of community.
|
| Travel
websites offer alternatives -
11/30
http://www.news.yahoo.com/...
The monopoly on selling
travel services over the Internet is coming to
an end as new and better websites compete for
pieces of the multi-billion dollar online
travel market. With Orbitz.com,
Travelocity.com
and Expedia.com
adding surcharges to ticket purchases, other websites
such as Sidestep.com
and Cheapflights.com
have stepped in to offer cheaper and more innovative
searching tools for ticket buyers who want, also,
to avoid the added costs. As thrifty buyers continue
to demand better search tools and better access
to last minute E-Saver tickets, and the market
is delivering.
|
| Cyber-addiction
on rise - 11/29
http://www.healthyplace.com/...
Support groups have
burgeoned during the last few years because of
the Internet. No matter what your addiction, obsession
or depression, surfers can take comfort in any
one of the hundreds of online refuges where others
with your same problems are waiting to hold your
cyber-hand. But while people have been helped
with their old addictions, many have replaced
them with new ones. Definitions for those addicted
to porn, online personals, gambling, gaming or
just plain web surfing are available. Choose your
addictions wisely.
|
Online
Perpetual Care Funeral Plots
- 11/26
http://www.legacy.com/...
For $195 you can get
your obituary and picture in the memorial section
of the Legacy.com website. Described by CBS as the
"granddaddy" of online memorial companies,
this host company promises to publish your pictures
and a biography on their website—forever. With
more people opting out of traditional grave plots,
will online epitaphs become the preferred way for
remembering our loved ones?
|
Scrabble
Solver
-
11/25
http://www.homepage.ntlworld.com/...
Think twice the next
time your spouse decides she has to take a bathroom
break in the middle of your turn. Take any seven-letter
combination and plug it into this calculator to
find more than 50,000 possible word combinations,
including those elusive 7-word bingos that practically
guarantee a win. Online cheating has never been
so easy.
|
| Outsourcing
moves beyond India to nobody
- 11/24
http://www.transformmag.com/...
When companies in the U.S. reduce the
high cost of American-based call centers, countries
like India and Pakistan are likely destinations
for their new help-centers. But automation is
becoming a better option for their bottom lines,
rapidly replacing expensive human voices with
costless automated ones. Automated systems are
already used widely in the airline industry for
reservation confirmation phone calls; just speak
your keyword and the computer will return an automated
answer. An Internet search works much the same
way by using textual interface, although the programs
to sort out queries are much more complex. The
science to evolve a better search engine is on—here
is the next generation of help desks.
|
| Website
generates fake caller IDs
- 11/23
http://www.star38.com/...
Go to this website, enter the number you
wish to call and fill out whatever number you
want to appear on the recipient's caller ID. That's
the idea behind this service targeting collection
agencies, but nobody would know if a telemarketer
could be using it. Need an alibi? Here's your
answer.
|
| Google
taps scholars with new search engine
- 11/22
http://www.usatoday.com/...
The problem with using most search engines
for scientific research is that you're more likely
to to get a paper published by an 8th-grader than
one published by someone tenured in the sciences.
The good information is out there—mixed with
the bad, so keeping searches academically sound
has been a challenge for scholars. Making money
by offering an atmosphere for scholarly pursuits
has become Google's latest endeavor, and they've
pulled it off with aplomb: www.scholar.google.com.
"Google has benefited a lot from scholarly research,
so this is one way we are giving back to the scholarly
community," said Anurag Acharya, a Google engineer
who helped develop the new search tools. But don't
think they're doing this pro bono: the
potential advertising royalties are expected to
be very good.
|
| Wireless
access replacing cyber-cafes
- 11/19
http://www.wi-fihotspotlist.com/...
The next generation of Internet connections
is spawning and available to anyone with a wireless
modem. These "Wi-Fi Hotspots" are located
throughout the world and Wi-Fi Planet has a search
engine that can assist in finding one near you.
While wireless connections may be commandeered
through open-access portals, some companies require
daily or monthly fees for accessing their signals.
|
| TV
to accompany cell phone conversations
- 11/18
http://www.sprint.com/...
Whether in line at the supermarket or waiting
at a stoplight in a car, now you can chat on the
phone and take in a little television if the conversation
lulls. Sprint now offers streaming video on handsets
allowing users a little mind-numbing escape no
matter where they are. If cell phone usage reflects
society's dependence on communication, this add-on
delivers the other great fixation for modern culture—television.
Once a necessity for keeping in touch with one
another, cell phones now offer games, cameras
and streaming video on handsets so that the real
reason for owning one is less about communication
and more about entertainment. You better think
twice before writing one of these phones off on
your taxes.
|
| The
problem with gun control revealed
- 11/17
http://www.spamlaws.com/...
A law is only as good as its enforcement
or that law may become ineffectual; furthermore,
unenforced laws encourage the public's skepticism
of a government's ability to enforce code of conduct,
and many argue it's better not to have an unenforceable
law on the books at all. Sending SPAM is illegal
in the United States. The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003
outlines what constitutes a violation in explicit
legal jargon. But the question remains: How to
enforce it?
|
| Real-time
gas prices available online
- 11/16
http://www.gasbuddy.com/...
If
you're one of those people who obsess over gas
prices while the needle nods on empty, this site
is for you. Comprehensive listings by city promise
to save cheapskates those precious pennies that
would usually have them driving around and around
surveying the penny's difference. Pull the car
over and download the list from your web phone
and fill-er-up!
|
| Cyberbullying
to replace playground bullying
- 11/15
http://www.cyberbullying.ca/...
Parents and concerned citizens
are making a big fuss about a trend in intimidation.
Instead of barking words or using fists to express
loathing, the new generation of bullies has taken
to sending hate-filled emails and instant messages,
in some cases posting private or derogatory information
for others to see, humiliation resulting. Where
we once expected the bucktoothed bully's
face on the playground, now even the sweetest
face can hide behind a monitor and post a poll
for the "ugliest bitch in class." This
new type of intimidation may be bad, but no matter
how you slice it a traditional ass-whippin' is
worst. Remember: Sticks and stones can break
my bones but words will never hurt.
|
Free
long distance over Internet: It's here!
- 11/11
http://www.pcworld.com/...
Put that high-speed
Internet connection to work for something other
than surfing the net and checking email. Although
software still remains buggy, there's a growing
community of users employing this new technology
which can provide everything you need to know to
get your telephone connected to the Internet. Remember
when dial-up Internet access cost money for each
minute spent online? Look forward to the day in
the near future when long-distance phone charges
go by the wayside, just the same.
|
Mobile
phones targeted by Trojan Horse -
11/10
http://www.news.zdnet.com/...
It was just
a matter of time before your mobile phone became
the preferred target for a computer virus. Mobile
phone SPAM will likely become the biggest nuisance
in coming years, and perhaps the most expensive
one considering the fact that receiving messages
costs money for many subscribers. Although the Delf
Trojan Horse virus doesn't infect the mobile phone
itself, that phone's calling number is subject to
inundation from a host computer somewhere else.
|
iPods:
put a sock on it, spend 29 bucks -
11/9
http://www.macworld.com/...
Modding your
iPod just became a little easier with this holiday
season's introduction of colorful socks. Do you
really need a pink sock in which to place your MP3
player? Maybe not, that's why they ship six to a
box in an array of colors. Apple Computer expects
this gift package to fit perfectly in those other
socks hung by the chimney with care, that is if
you're willing to shell out the 29 dollars they're
asking for this nifty gift set.
|
Ebay
sellers swindle users with phony bids -
11/8
http://www.bizjournals.com/...
Despite the
recent television commercial in which Ebay thanks
users for their honesty in making the online auction
house the most profitable business on the Internet,
a recent bust of sellers making phony bids on their
own items for auction has resulted in tens of thousands
of dollars in fines and 8 criminal charges. But
don't think that Ebay were the ones to catch them;
it was the swindled buyers who suspected foul play
and called their local authorities who eventually
got to the bottom of it. As high-end items such
as artwork and cars become hot items for online
bidding, consumers must be especially careful that
they're not bidding against an invisible bidder.
|
Complainer's
website slapped with lawsuit - 11/5
http://www.news.yahoo.com/...
Freedom of
speech on the Internet may not be all that free
depending on the outcome of a lawsuit that involves
an amateur webmaster who set up www.spraysiding.com
to complain that "Spray on Siding" had
ruined his house. The offending company, Alvis Coatings
Inc., has a similarly named website www.sprayonsiding.com;
they say the disgruntled customer is dragging their
good name through the mud in violation of trademark
laws. The outcome of the lawsuit could define the
boundaries of what free speech means on the Internet.
|
Mozilla
to advertise browser in NY Times -
11/4
http://www.pcworld.com/...
Microsoft
Internet Explorer's recent security holes and its
long-standing monopoly as the browser standard has
called many web users to action. The Mozilla open-source
project was started in early 1998 by Netscape and
will be available for download in beta format this
month, with it's full version slated for release
in the Spring. Mozilla Suite includes a browser,
e-mail client, Internet Relay Chat client, and Web
page editor. Netscape, distributed by America Online,
is based on Mozilla technology. The foundation has
collected a quarter million dollars to advertise
the release called Firefox in a full page advertisement
in the NY Times.
|
Cnet
offers price comparison in real-time -
11/3
http://www.cnet.com/...
If you've already decided on the exact make and
model of your next electronics purchase, you might
be scanning newspapers looking for the best buy
in your local retail outlet. However, buying online
will ALWAYS be less expensive if you use a search
tool that provides the cheapest published prices.
Many offer free shipping and no taxes so that there's
really no way to beat their
prices in a retail store. Pick your product and
"Compare Prices," but make sure to check
the user ratings before making the purchase (not
all online retailers have customer service).
|
Spyware
solutions offered with free software -
11/2
http://www.zdnet.com/...
Annoying pop-up
windows, browsers crashing, and background programs
sending your personal information fall under the
label "spyware." Even the most advanced
computer users aren't immune to getting infected
despite firewalls and careful web surfing. But don't
be embarrassed by it, get help. Search
& Destroy 1.2 is available as a free download.
If you're on the Internet without spyware protection,
then you're in bed with the devil and don't even
know it.
|
Search
Engine offers insider view of searches -
11/1
http://www.dogpile.com/...
Ever wonder
what people are searching for at this very moment
in time? Searchspy gives a window into searches
being made in real-time. View family friendly
real-time searches or go all out and see how dirty
people's minds are when they're looking for something
to fill their fancy online. "Consider yourself
warned," it says before entering.
|
Anything
you type may be used against you -
10/29
http://www.blazingtools.com/...
Bugging someone's
computer is a chinch with Keylogger. An email
attachment will infect the targeted computer
with its unique "remote installation function,"
which sets up a reporting system to report that
computer's usage. Screen shots and text logs are
periodically sent to the spy via email or FTP, or
lists of "on alert" phrases or words (such
as the name of an ex-girlfriend) generates alerts
when needed. The software is undetectable on an
infected computer.
|
| New
service sends rejection emails for free
- 10/28
http://www.papernapkin.net/...
If you want to give
that guy at the bar an email address to get him
off your back, anyone@papernapkin.net
will generate an automatic message delivering
the rejection without your actually having to
be there. Any name typed before the "@"
sign will generate an automatic message reply:
"This is a rejection letter," the message
begins, "The person who gave you this email
address does not want to have anything to do with
you."
|
| Auction
website sells stolen merchandise
- 10/27
http://www.stealitback.com/...
When criminals
get busted with stolen merchandise, police sell
these items if they can't find the original owners.
They'll also sell you a police car, billy clubs
and badges if you need them. Think of all the
doughnuts our fine men in blue can buy with the
extra cash!
|
Domain
names sell for big money
- 10/26
http://www.afternic.com/...
Many remember the 7
million dollar sale of the domain name business.com,
but what about those other domain names snatched
up during The Bubble? Where does one go to buy and
sell domain names? To the Internet, of course. Recently
sold names include birdflu.info ($100), houseparty.com
($9,000) and miss.com ($35,000). It costs $30 to
register a domain name. What are you waiting for??
|
Artists
sell songs for your cell phone ringer
- 10/25
http://www.nytimes.com/...
"Pick
up the phone! It's your mother, I know, because
she's with me." This would give anybody heartburn
to hear, but somehow it's
cool to have the voice of the lead singer of Green
Day on your phone's ringer.
If cell phones weren't obnoxious enough, now the
wireless providers are getting into the game of
ring tone specialization—you can buy an obnoxious
ring to precede your obnoxious cell phone conversation.
When are they going to start selling the ringer
that says, "Warning: I'm the asshole who's
about to talk loudly on my phone!"
|
Stud:
Call me at my villa in France
- 10/22
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news ...
Okay ... maybe you
don't really have a place on the French Riviera,
but your phone number has the same area code. With
the convenience of broadband phone service, a major
provider is letting you sign-up for a phone number
and receive phone calls through your computer anywhere
in the world. Wait a minute ... anywhere but France!
|
I
always wanted my picture on a stamp
- 10/21
http://www.photo.stamps.com/...
It used to be that
you had to do or be something special to get your
picture on a postage stamp. But somewhere along
the way the United States Postal Service realized
that their notoriously bad service and unfriendly
workers were not earning them enough money to protect
the elite status of a stamp face. So why not sell-out
to anyone who wants to buy? What's next, your Uncle
Vinny's picture on the ten dollar bill?
|
Filtering
Philanderers
- 10/20
http://www.story.news.yahoo.com/...
The last time you
dated online you found yourself with someone who
slightly overestimated himself in his personal profile.
Never fear, with the increased concern among web-daters
who don't like it when they make it with a date
who happens to be married, a few companies like
TRUE.COM
are doing background checks on those who wish to
employ their services. With fraud on the rise, what
does this mean to wanna-be Romeos who really don't
want their dating history available for the world
to see?
|
The
Importance of Blogging
- 10/19
http://www.story.news.yahoo.com/...
There's nothing more
American than selling your ego. Now, corporations
are chiming in to say that they find blogs an important
source of reference for a potential or existing
employee. Have a company you want to get some exposure
for and show that you're on the right track to success?
Advertise your blog and you may find it serves as
more than just an exhibition of your vanity ...
it may also verify that you are a responsible and
energetic businessman. On second thought, maybe
you shouldn't have said those things about your
ex-girlfriend in the basement.
|
The
Silicon Indian
- 10/18
http://www.story.news.yahoo.com/...
Silicon Valley tech
shops are offshoring to places like Bangladore where
160,000 tech workers have recently been added to
work computers at bargain prices. Americans say
the quality will suffer because 3rd world designers
and programmers don't have the experience. Bangalorians
couldn't be happier and are eager to bring their
Eastern flair to the digital age. Are we talking
phone banks and troubleshooting, or is Indian engineering
and design going to change the face of the Internet?
|
Throwing
the Baby out with the Bathwater
- 10/15
http://www.nytimes.com/...
SPAM filters are the likely
villains when you're missing an email. This loss
of email is becoming a big problem with so-called
SPAM filtering software that promises to delete
the bad while leaving the good. What other systems
will emerge to address this discrepancy?
|
You
weren't the only dumb kid after all
- 10/14
http://iusedtobelieve.com/ ...
At last you can take
refuge in the fact that you weren't the only kid
who thought a monster in your closet was waiting
to kill you in the middle of the night. Did you
really think the Baby Jesus was crying when it rained
outside? Read and post confessions pertaining to
your fantastic theories on life when you were little.
Most people don't post their names. (For a good
reason)
|
Are
you Google Worthy?
- 10/13
http://www.google.com/...
Ever wonder who would
win a "Google yourself" competition? Check
out this top-ten list giving a week-by-week ranking
of the ten most popular searches for the current
week. What's our social conscious telling us through
these statistics? Do you really want to know? Probably
not.
|
God:
Now accepting email (for a price)
- 10/12
http://www.croire.com/...
Nothing's
free in this world, especially when it comes to
salvation. Roman Catholics who can't make it to
Lourde, France for the pilgrimage of Pope John Paul
can rest content at home knowing their 5 euros will
light a candle at the grotto where Saint Bernadette
Soubirous saw visions of Mary, the mother of Jesus
Christ, in 1858. The Web site
Croire.com—"croire"
is the French verb for "believe"— has taken
more than 20,000 prayer requests online. Paypal
accepted.
|
| Phishing
& Spoofing for Suckers
- 10/11
http://www.pcworld.com/...
These scams typically start with
your receipt of an email from Citi Bank or Paypal
requiring an immediate response to their website.
You follow the given link and update your information
immediately, only the link is bogus and you've
just handed over your account information to a
criminal. This form of crime is nothing new, but
how does someone know fact from fraud?
|
| |
