GFP Web and Tech

Sixteen Individuals Arrested in the United States for Alleged Roles in Cyber Attacks

2011-07-19T19:08:00.000-04:00

More Than 35 Search Warrants Executed in United States, Five Arrests in Europe as Part of Ongoing Cyber Investigations

Fourteen individuals were arrested today by FBI agents on charges related to their alleged involvement in a cyber attack on PayPal’s website as part of an action claimed by the group “Anonymous,” announced the Department of Justice and the FBI. Two additional defendants were arrested today on cyber-related charges.

The 14 individuals were arrested in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, and Ohio on charges contained in an indictment unsealed today in the Northern District of California in San Jose. In addition, two individuals were arrested on similar charges in two separate complaints filed in the Middle District of Florida and the District of New Jersey. Also today, FBI agents executed more than 35 search warrants throughout the United States as part of an ongoing investigation into coordinated cyber attacks against major companies and organizations. Finally, the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police Service arrested one person and the Dutch National Police Agency arrested four individuals today for alleged related cyber crimes.

According to the San Jose indictment, in late November 2010, WikiLeaks released a large amount of classified U.S. State Department cables on its website. Citing violations of the PayPal terms of service, and in response to WikiLeaks’ release of the classified cables, PayPal suspended WikiLeaks’ accounts so that WikiLeaks could no longer receive donations via PayPal. WikiLeaks’ website declared that PayPal’s action “tried to economically strangle WikiLeaks.”

The San Jose indictment alleges that in retribution for PayPal’s termination of WikiLeaks’ donation account, a group calling itself Anonymous coordinated and executed distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against PayPal’s computer servers using an open source computer program the group makes available for free download on the Internet. DDoS attacks are attempts to render computers unavailable to users through a variety of means, including saturating the target computers or networks with external communications requests, thereby denying service to legitimate users. According to the indictment, Anonymous referred to the DDoS attacks on PayPal as “Operation Avenge Assange.”

The defendants charged in the San Jose indictment allegedly conspired with others to intentionally damage protected computers at PayPal from Dec. 6, 2010, to Dec. 10, 2010.

The individuals named in the San Jose indictment are: Christopher Wayne Cooper, 23, aka “Anthrophobic;” Joshua John Covelli, 26, aka “Absolem” and “Toxic;” Keith Wilson Downey, 26; Mercedes Renee Haefer, 20, aka “No” and “MMMM;” Donald Husband, 29, aka “Ananon;” Vincent Charles Kershaw, 27, aka “Trivette,” “Triv” and “Reaper;” Ethan Miles, 33; James C. Murphy, 36; Drew Alan Phillips, 26, aka “Drew010;” Jeffrey Puglisi, 28, aka “Jeffer,” “Jefferp” and “Ji;” Daniel Sullivan, 22; Tracy Ann Valenzuela, 42; and Christopher Quang Vo, 22. One individual’s name has been withheld by the court.

The defendants are charged with various counts of conspiracy and intentional damage to a protected computer. They will make initial appearances throughout the day in the districts in which they were arrested.

In addition to the activities in San Jose, Scott Matthew Arciszewski, 21, was arrested today by FBI agents on charges of intentional damage to a protected computer. Arciszewski is charged in a complaint filed in the Middle District of Florida and made his initial appearance this afternoon in federal court in Orlando, Fla.

According to the complaint, on June 21, 2011, Arciszewski allegedly accessed without authorization the Tampa Bay InfraGard website and uploaded three files. The complaint alleges that Arciszewski then tweeted about the intrusion and directed visitors to a separate website containing links with instructions on how to exploit the Tampa InfraGard website. InfraGard is a public-private partnership for critical infrastructure protection sponsored by the FBI with chapters in all 50 states.

Also today, a related complaint unsealed in the District of New Jersey charges Lance Moore, 21, of Las Cruces, N.M., with allegedly stealing confidential business information stored on AT&T’s servers and posting it on a public file sharing site. Moore was arrested this morning at his residence by FBI agents and is expected to make an initial appearance this afternoon in Las Cruces federal court. Moore is charged in with one count of accessing a protected computer without authorization.

According to the New Jersey complaint, Moore, a customer support contractor, exceeded his authorized access to AT&T’s servers and downloaded thousands of documents, applications and other files that, on the same day, he allegedly posted on a public file-hosting site that promises user anonymity. According to the complaint, on June 25, 2011, the computer hacking group LulzSec publicized that they had obtained confidential AT&T documents and made them publicly available on the Internet. The documents were the ones Moore had previously uploaded.

The charge of intentional damage to a protected computer carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Each count of conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

An indictment and a complaint merely contain allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

To date, more than 75 searches have taken place in the United States as part of the ongoing investigations into these attacks.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of California, Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey. The Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section also has provided assistance.

Today’s operational activities were done in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Service in the United Kingdom and the Dutch National Police Agency. The FBI thanks the multiple international, federal, and domestic law enforcement agencies who continue to support these operations.

New cell phone app allows beachgoers to report marine debris

2011-05-19T09:36:00.000-04:00

With summer around the corner, millions worldwide will head to pristine beaches and waterways. However, with items such as bottles, cans and other debris washing up on U.S. shores each year, the University of Georgia and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, have teamed up to create a new, innovative cell phone reporting mechanism to combat the marine debris problem.

The Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative, or SEA-MDI, housed at UGA and a critical part of a partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, hopes to empower citizens in protecting their beaches and coastal waters through a newly launched mobile application that tracks where debris is accumulating.

The tool is important for engaging with beachgoers and stakeholders and is geared at giving the public another way to be a part of the marine debris solution globally, said Jenna Jambeck, assistant professor of environmental engineering in the UGA Faculty of Engineering and one of the app’s developers.

Available through iTunes and the Android Market, the easy-to-use Marine Debris Tracker app can be downloaded for use on iPhones and Android phones. The simple tool allows users to report and record the type and location of debris through GPS features pre-installed on a cell phone. The data submitted is posted on an interactive website (www.marinedebris.engr.uga.edu) that allows data to be viewed and downloaded for users to design plans to prevent marine debris.

Jambeck said the app is one way the initiative is trying to reach people and raise awareness of marine debris. “If you are noticing marine debris, you are also much less likely to litter,” she said. “While this app collects data, one of its primary goals is to educate the public about marine debris and its harmful impacts.”

“We are very excited about the innovative products that have resulted from our partnership with the University of Georgia,” said David Holst, acting director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program. “This app brings the issue into the forefront and empowers the public to take a proactive step in mitigating the problem.”

Marine debris kills wildlife through ingestion and entanglement. It also can have an economic impact on the tourism industry and other coastal businesses by affecting the aesthetics of beaches and waterways. Jambeck and co-developer Kyle Johnsen, assistant professor of computer systems engineering in the UGA Faculty of Engineering, hope that the Marine Debris Tracker tool will help officials make decisions about how to mitigate marine debris, from supplying more comprehensive waste management, such as trash cans, to providing recycling and disposal opportunities for fishing gear.

SEA-MDI (http://sea-mdi.engr.uga.edu/) is a new regional partnership between the NOAA Marine Debris Program and a consortium of organizations in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The initiative aims to create collaborative regional strategies that address marine debris prevention, reduction and mitigation.

For more information on NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, see http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/.

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Microsoft to Acquire Skype

2011-05-10T16:35:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: "MSFT") and Skype Global S.a r.l today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Skype, the leading Internet communications company, for $8.5 billion in cash from the investor group led by Silver Lake. The agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype.

The acquisition will increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and generating significant new business and revenue opportunities. The combination will extend Skype's world-class brand and the reach of its networked platform, while enhancing Microsoft's existing portfolio of real-time communications products and services.

With 170 million connected users and over 207 billion minutes of voice and video conversations in 2010, Skype has been a pioneer in creating rich, meaningful connections among friends, families and business colleagues globally. Microsoft has a long-standing focus and investment in real-time communications across its various platforms, including Lync (which saw 30 percent revenue growth in Q3), Outlook, Messenger, Hotmail and Xbox LIVE.

Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.

"Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world."

Skype will become a new business division within Microsoft, and Skype CEO Tony Bates will assume the title of president of the Microsoft Skype Division, reporting directly to Ballmer.

"Microsoft and Skype share the vision of bringing software innovation and products to our customers," said Tony Bates. "Together, we will be able to accelerate Skype's plans to extend our global community and introduce new ways for everyone to communicate and collaborate," Bates said.

"Tony Bates has a great track record as a leader and will strengthen the Microsoft management team. I'm looking forward to Skype's talented global workforce bringing its insights, ideas and experience to Microsoft," Ballmer said.

Speaking on behalf of the investor group that sold Skype to Microsoft, Egon Durban, managing director of Silver Lake, said: "We are thrilled with Skype's transformation during the period of our ownership and grateful for the extraordinary commitment of its management team and employees. We are excited about Skype's long-term future with Microsoft, as it is poised to become one of the world's most dynamic and comprehensive communications platforms."

Founded in 2003, Skype was acquired by eBay in September 2005, and then acquired by an investment group led by Silver Lake in November 2009. Skype has made impressive progress over the past 18 months under Silver Lake's leadership, increasing monthly calling minutes by 150 percent, developing new revenue streams and strategic partnerships, acquiring the intellectual property powering its peer-to-peer network, and recruiting an outstanding senior management team.

Other members of the selling investor group led by Silver Lake include eBay International AG, CPP Investment Board, Joltid Limited in partnership with Europlay Capital Advisors; and Andreessen Horowitz.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The parties hope to obtain all required regulatory clearances during the course of this calendar year.

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Malicious Software Features Usama bin Laden Links to Ensnare Unsuspecting Computer Users

2011-05-03T21:32:00.000-04:00

The FBI today warns computer users to exercise caution when they receive e-mails that purport to show photos or videos of Usama bin Laden’s recent death. This content could be a virus that could damage your computer. This malicious software, or “malware,” can embed itself in computers and spread to users’ contact lists, thereby infecting the systems of associates, friends, and family members. These viruses are often programmed to steal your personally identifiable information.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) urges computer users to not open unsolicited (spam) e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages. Even if the sender is familiar, the public should exercise due diligence. Computer owners must ensure they have up-to-date firewall and anti-virus software running on their machines to detect and deflect malicious software.

The IC3 recommends the public do the following:

* Adjust the privacy settings on social networking sites you frequent to make it more difficult for people you know and do not know to post content to your page. Even a “friend” can unknowingly pass on multimedia that’s actually malicious software.
* Do not agree to download software to view videos. These applications can infect your computer.
* Read e-mails you receive carefully. Fraudulent messages often feature misspellings, poor grammar, and nonstandard English.
* Report e-mails you receive that purport to be from the FBI. Criminals often use the FBI’s name and seal to add legitimacy to their fraudulent schemes. In fact, the FBI does not send unsolicited e-mails to the public. Should you receive unsolicited messages that feature the FBI’s name, seal, or that reference a division or unit within the FBI or an individual employee, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

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Use Your Mobile Phone to Receive Alerts on Approaching Storms

2011-05-03T14:52:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- With the South still reeling from the devastating effects of last week's tornados, the need for effective and actionable communication during a storm has never been more apparent.

Global Alert Network (GAN) is the first-ever hands-free audio alert application for mobile phones. The app is free to download and is currently available on BlackBerry and Android devices through AppWorld and Android Market.

Scott Hughes, President of Global Alert Network, stated "While weather radios are essential for every home in tornado alley, there are times when you're just not around it to hear the warning. The one device that is with people everywhere they go now is their mobile phone. Our alerts are literally with you wherever you are, delivering up to date important local weather warnings and emergency information."

More than 1,500 alerts were sent out to the southern part of the country last week warning residents of the impending tornados. Global Alert Network works with content provider AccuWeather.com, a company that provides users all over the world with the best possible weather forecasts and warnings.

"What makes this application unique is that it initiates automatically – much like a ringtone – and plays the alert without the need for the consumer to interact with his or her mobile phone," continued Mr. Hughes. "Alerts are geo-targeted to the user's location to provide timely, accurate information about weather, traffic conditions and certain emergency alerts."

Traffic, weather and emergency notifications are the channels that are currently available on the Global Alert Network platform. The Company plans to expand its content channels to include entertainment, sports and news.

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Georgia DOT Re-Launches Improved NaviGAtor 511 Travel Information System: Features New Technology, Smart-Phone App & Sponsorship Partners

2011-04-15T10:43:00.000-04:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Georgia Department of Transportation, home of one of the most popular, heavily used real-time traveler information systems in the country, today unveiled the next generation of Georgia NaviGAtor 511. The new system brings new features and, through a public-private partnership, new sponsors, allowing the Department and its 511 provider, Meridian Environmental Technology, Inc., an Iteris company, to operate and maintain the system at no cost to Georgia taxpayers.

“People are very mobile and need to know traffic and road conditions before and during their trip”

This is the first major upgrade of the Georgia NaviGAtor 511 system since its inception for the 1996 Olympic Games and is part of a federal effort to establish traveler information services nationwide. The new platform creates a foundation for many new traveler information enhancements planned for the future, such as statewide congestion reporting and 511 services in Spanish.

PepsiCo, and its blockbuster-selling brand, Mountain Dew, is the first nationally-recognized brand to sponsor the state’s new Georgia NaviGAtor 511 system. Company promotions will lead the system’s sponsorship program, complete with Mountain Dew truck-back artwork and sponsor messaging on 511 services.

“By engaging sponsorship opportunities, we can continue to provide vital services to travelers in a time of unprecedented funding challenges,” said Georgia DOT Commissioner Vance C. Smith, Jr. “Our ongoing mission is to keep travelers safe and informed and to provide for their mobility throughout the state. The Department is recognized as a national leader in traveler information services and this represents a natural growth and progression of that innovation.”

One feature new to the NaviGAtor 511 system is the 511 App, the official traveler information mobile phone application of Georgia. It provides real-time, location-based traveler information on Georgia’s highways, digital coupons and promotions as well as other special offers of interest to travelers.

“The original Georgia NaviGAtor system served the state well for many years, but it was limited relative to what we can offer with today’s technology,” said Mark Demidovich, Assistant State Traffic Engineer. “We’ve retained most of the features that our users favored; added a mobile app with special offers for travelers; and established a robust foundation for future NaviGAtor and 511 expansions.”

The integrated Georgia NaviGAtor 511 sponsorship program includes four program components:

* The 511 phone system, developed by Meridian, which has received over 5 million calls since inception in August 2007 and is being expanded to accommodate brief sponsor messages and future concierge-style services;
* The main Georgia NaviGAtor website, 511ga.org, redesigned and developed by Meridian, Iteris, and partners,
* The mobile app, developed by 511Live, LLC, now available as a free download for iPhone users (Blackberry and Droid apps coming soon); and,
* Signs on the state right-of-way to promote the 511 program and its sponsors, managed by Revelation Outdoor, LLC.

**Georgia NaviGator, 511 App and integrated sponsorship programs, promoted and managed by 511Live, LLC.

“People are very mobile and need to know traffic and road conditions before and during their trip,” said Leon Osborne, president and CEO of Meridian Environmental Technology, Inc. “The new NaviGAtor website and mobile app will make it easier to plan trips, avoid problem areas, and reach destinations more quickly and safely."

To demonstrate the power of the system, the new applications, and the special offers available, Georgia 511 is planning a major summer promotion to coincide with the summer travel and construction season.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is committed to providing a safe, seamless, and sustainable transportation system that supports Georgia’s economy and is sensitive to both its citizens and its environment. For general information on the Georgia DOT, please visit www.dot.ga.gov.

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Verizon Wireless Launches 'Know It Forward' in Georgia to Raise Awareness of Sexual Assault Among Young Adults

2011-04-08T09:57:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless announces today (April 4) the launch of "Know It Forward," a social media campaign aimed at increasing awareness of sexual assault, particularly among college students and young adults, for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).

Throughout the month of April, Verizon Wireless is joining colleges and universities across Georgia to educate students about the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses and encourage them to visit www.KnowItForward.com to find out how to reduce the risk and discover ways to share the information with their personal network through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social channels.

"Because of our strong relationships with universities across Georgia as well as nonprofits that focus on sexual assault and domestic violence, we feel this program provides a real opportunity to reach young people and help educate them on this important issue," said Jeff Mango, president – Georgia/Alabama Region for Verizon Wireless. "Our goal is to facilitate and promote peer-to-peer discussions and provide facts and information in a way that is impactful, memorable and easy to share with friends and family."

College-age women are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than the general public, with an estimated one in four female college students becoming victims of sexual assault during their college career, according to studies from the U.S. Department of Justice. As such, sexual assault is an issue of significant concern on college campuses throughout the state, with the majority actively providing resources to educate students and the public about sexual assault prevention and awareness.

"At VSU, we strive to prepare our students not only academically, but also through awareness and prevention efforts. Along with Sexual Assault Awareness events held in April, we provide various opportunities throughout the year for students to learn how to keep themselves safe on campus and in the community," notes Holly Wright, health educator and RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) coordinator for Valdosta State University.

In support of collegiate SAAM efforts throughout the state, Verizon Wireless is working with various student organizations and awareness/prevention programs at Augusta State, Clark Atlanta, Kennesaw State, Mercer, South Georgia College, Spelman, University of Georgia and Valdosta State to bring the campaign to students through campus-specific efforts and by joining scheduled campus events.

Know it. Forward it. KnowItForward.com. For information on national sexual assault statistics, awareness and prevention tips, and regional assistance programs, visit www.KnowItForward.com; then share the website, videos and factsheets with friends and family.

A recognized corporate leader in the prevention and awareness of domestic and sexual violence issues through its HopeLine program (www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline), Verizon Wireless is launching a variety of regional sexual assault awareness initiatives across the country this April.

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Warning: New Email Scam for Japan Relief Exposed

2011-04-01T08:51:00.000-04:00

Another scam to expose has just landed in my email inbox. Apparantly, a "good citizen" of Malaysia is asking for western union money transfers so he can go help the victims of the recent earthquake in Japan.

If you want to help the victims, please don't do it this way. Instead, contact a reputable charity like the American Red Cross to make your donation.

Otherwise, your wire transfer is just a donation to the scam artist.

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FTC Charges Deceptive Privacy Practices in Google's Rollout of Its Buzz Social Network

2011-03-30T16:23:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Google Inc. has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it used deceptive tactics and violated its own privacy promises to consumers when it launched its social network, Google Buzz, in 2010. The agency alleges the practices violate the FTC Act. The proposed settlement bars the company from future privacy misrepresentations, requires it to implement a comprehensive privacy program, and calls for regular, independent privacy audits for the next 20 years. This is the first time an FTC settlement order has required a company to implement a comprehensive privacy program to protect the privacy of consumers' information. In addition, this is the first time the FTC has alleged violations of the substantive privacy requirements of the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework, which provides a method for U.S. companies to transfer personal data lawfully from the European Union to the United States.

"When companies make privacy pledges, they need to honor them," said Jon Leibowitz, Chairman of the FTC. "This is a tough settlement that ensures that Google will honor its commitments to consumers and build strong privacy protections into all of its operations."

According to the FTC complaint, Google launched its Buzz social network through its Gmail web-based email product. Although Google led Gmail users to believe that they could choose whether or not they wanted to join the network, the options for declining or leaving the social network were ineffective. For users who joined the Buzz network, the controls for limiting the sharing of their personal information were confusing and difficult to find, the agency alleged.

On the day Buzz was launched, Gmail users got a message announcing the new service and were given two options: "Sweet! Check out Buzz," and "Nah, go to my inbox." However, the FTC complaint alleged that some Gmail users who clicked on "Nah..." were nonetheless enrolled in certain features of the Google Buzz social network. For those Gmail users who clicked on "Sweet!," the FTC alleges that they were not adequately informed that the identity of individuals they emailed most frequently would be made public by default. Google also offered a "Turn Off Buzz" option that did not fully remove the user from the social network.

In response to the Buzz launch, Google received thousands of complaints from consumers who were concerned about public disclosure of their email contacts which included, in some cases, ex-spouses, patients, students, employers, or competitors. According to the FTC complaint, Google made certain changes to the Buzz product in response to those complaints.

When Google launched Buzz, its privacy policy stated that "When you sign up for a particular service that requires registration, we ask you to provide personal information. If we use this information in a manner different than the purpose for which it was collected, then we will ask for your consent prior to such use." The FTC complaint charges that Google violated its privacy policies by using information provided for Gmail for another purpose - social networking - without obtaining consumers' permission in advance.

The agency also alleges that by offering options like "Nah, go to my inbox," and "Turn Off Buzz," Google misrepresented that consumers who clicked on these options would not be enrolled in Buzz. In fact, they were enrolled in certain features of Buzz.

The complaint further alleges that a screen that asked consumers enrolling in Buzz, "How do you want to appear to others?" indicated that consumers could exercise control over what personal information would be made public. The FTC charged that Google failed to disclose adequately that consumers' frequent email contacts would become public by default.

Finally, the agency alleges that Google misrepresented that it was treating personal information from the European Union in accordance with the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor privacy framework. The framework is a voluntary program administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce in consultation with the European Commission. To participate, a company must self-certify annually to the Department of Commerce that it complies with a defined set of privacy principles. The complaint alleges that Google's assertion that it adhered to the Safe Harbor principles was false because the company failed to give consumers notice and choice before using their information for a purpose different from that for which it was collected.

The proposed settlement bars Google from misrepresenting the privacy or confidentiality of individuals' information or misrepresenting compliance with the U.S.-E.U Safe Harbor or other privacy, security, or compliance programs. The settlement requires the company to obtain users' consent before sharing their information with third parties if Google changes its products or services in a way that results in information sharing that is contrary to any privacy promises made when the user's information was collected. The settlement further requires Google to establish and maintain a comprehensive privacy program, and it requires that for the next 20 years, the company have audits conducted by independent third parties every two years to assess its privacy and data protection practices.

Google's data practices in connection with its launch of Google Buzz were the subject of a complaint filed with the FTC by the Electronic Privacy Information Center shortly after the service was launched.

The Commission vote to issue the administrative complaint and accept the consent agreement package containing the proposed consent order for public comment was 5-0, with Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch issuing a separate concurring statement. Commissioner Rosch concurs with accepting, subject to final approval, the consent order for the purpose of public comment. The reasons for his concurrence are described in the attached separate statement.

The FTC will publish a description of the consent agreement package in the Federal Register shortly. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through May 1, 2011, after which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent order final. Interested parties can submit written comments electronically or in paper form by following the instructions in the "Invitation To Comment" part of the "Supplementary Information" section.

Comments in electronic form should be submitted using the following web link: https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/googlebuzz and following the instructions on the web-based form. Comments in paper form should be mailed or delivered to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex D), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form near the end of the public comment period be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions.

NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative complaint when it has "reason to believe" that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the respondent has actually violated the law. A consent agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by the respondent that the law has been violated. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.

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Free Smartphone Application Takes Hassle out of Universal Orlando® Vacation

2011-02-23T13:41:00.000-05:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Undercover Tourist, an Orlando, Florida-based discount travel company, is launching a free iPhone and Android application that cuts the wait time for theme park rides at Universal Orlando®.

App users receive a simple, real-time traffic light feature, equating a green with fast access, yellow with short waits and red with long lines for theme park rides. Data is compiled from over 460,000 wait time data points enhanced by real-time user’s submissions.

To help visitors plan their day and create a ride schedule, the new app will feature detailed theme park ride descriptions, including photos, ratings and height and age requirements.

“We want to help visitors to Universal Orlando save time on their vacation, this new app is that tool and it doesn’t cost anything to download and use,” said Ian Ford, president and co-founder, Undercover Tourist.

Leveraging Undercover Tourist’s leading-edge app, users can easily create a tour plan of Universal Orlando® and sort every ride by distance to a current position. The iPhone version takes it a step further and allows users to actually bookmark and sort through their favorite attractions. Without the ability to incorporate favorites, the Android app currently will rank all rides by distance to a user.

App users will also be able to purchase discount tickets to a variety of theme parks through Undercover Tourist, the most trusted name in attraction tickets. Undercover Tourist is contracted, licensed, and an official authorized ticket broker for Universal Orlando®, Walt Disney World®, SeaWorld Orlando® and other theme parks.

The new app was developed exclusively for Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure® and Universal Studios Florida®. It can be used with any iPhone that has network coverage, including offline capabilities for iPod Touches, pertaining to ride information. On the Android, the app is fully functional with version 2.0 or higher.

The new application can be downloaded for the iPhone at the Apple Store and, for the Android, users can find it at the Android Market store by searching for ‘Phunware’. The Undercover Tourist App is not an official app of Universal Orlando®.

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Internet Crime Complaint Center's (IC3) Scam Alerts

2011-02-14T13:33:00.000-05:00

This report, which is based upon information from law enforcement and complaints
submitted to the IC3, details recent cyber crime trends and new twists to previously-existing
cyber scams.

Social Network Misspelling Scam

During December 2010, the IC3 discovered misspellings of a social network site being
used as a social engineering ploy. Misspelling the domain name of this site would
redirect users to websites coded to look similar to the actual website. The website
users were redirected to answer three or four simple survey questions. Upon answering
those questions, users were offered a choice of three free gifts. Multiple brands
were observed as being offered as gifts, including gift cards to retail stores and
various brands of laptops.

After clicking on one of the gifts, users were further redirected to other websites
claiming to give free gifts for completing surveys. The surveys typically asked
for name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. A user could spend hours filling
out multiple surveys and never receive any of the gifts advertised.

Fake Online Receipt Generator Targets Unsuspecting Online Marketplace Merchant

A new scam aims to swindle online marketplace sellers by generating fake receipts.
This Receipt Generator is an executable file that has been circulating on hacking
forums recently. This is a particularly interesting scam - because it does not target
regular PC users, it targets the sellers on online marketplace websites. This is
what the would-be social engineer sees when running the program:

The social engineer can fill in a variety of information, including item name, price,
and the date the order was taken. Additionally, it allows them to choose between
the .com, .co.uk, .fr, and .ca marketplace portals. When they hit "Generate," an
HTML file is created in the program folder which looks like this:

The program produces what appears to be a genuine marketplace receipt and a copy
of the "Printable Order Summary," similar to the documents resulting from legitimate
marketplace purchases. Note the small details, such as "Total before tax," "Sales
tax," and other particulars that make the receipt convincing.

Many sellers on these markets will ask the buyer to send them a copy of the receipt
should the buyer run into trouble, have orders go missing, lose the license key
for a piece of software, and so on. The scammer relies on the seller to accept the
printout at face value without checking the details. After all, how many sellers
would be aware someone went to the trouble of creating a fake receipt generator?

Sellers must remain ever vigilant about this scam, which has been a popular topic
in recent hacker forums. The VirusTotal detection rate is currently 1/43 – detected as Hacktool.Win32.Amagen.A.

Malicious Code In .gov E-mail

A recent malware campaign, disguised as a holiday greeting from the White House,
targeted government employees. The recipient received the below e-mail with links
to what masqueraded as a greeting card, but when they clicked on the link, it attempted
to download a file named "card.exe." The executable program proved to be an information-stealing
Trojan, which would disable the recipient’s computer security notifications, software
updates, and firewall settings. The malware also installed itself into the computer’s
registry, enabling the code to be executed every time the computer was rebooted.
At the time of review, this particular malicious code sample had a low antivirus
detection rate of 20%, with only 9 out of 43 antivirus companies reporting detection.

From: sender@whitehouse.gov [mailto: sender@whitehouse.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 10:33 PM
To: recipient's name
Subject: Merry Christmas, recipient's name
Recipient’s name here,

    As you and your families gather to celebrate the holidays, we wanted to take a moment
    to send you our greetings. Be sure that we're profoundly grateful for your dedication
    to duty and wish you inspiration and success in fulfillment of our core mission.

    Greeting card:

     hxxp://xtremedefenceforce.com/card/
     hxxp://elvis.com.au/card/


    Merry Christmas!

    ___________________________________________

Executive Office of the President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500


Source: FBI, February 2011

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Landmark 'Do Not Track Me' Bill to Block Unwanted Spying on the Internet, Says Consumer Watchdog

2011-02-11T11:47:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- "Do Not Track Me" legislation introduced in Congress today by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-CA, will let consumers block unwanted tracking of their information online, said the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog at a press conference today with the bill author and consumer and privacy advocates.

The bill authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to enact and enforce regulations that would give consumers a right to block companies from tracking their activities as they use the Internet. The concept is analogous to the popular "Do Not Call" list that prevents advertisers from calling consumers who do not wish to be disturbed by telemarketing.

"Consumers should have the right to choose if their private information – from shoe size, to health concerns, to religious beliefs – is collected, analyzed and profiled by companies tracking activities online. Do Not Track is the simple way for consumers to say 'no thanks' to being monitored while they surf the web," said Carmen Balber, Washington director for Consumer Watchdog.

Rep. Speier's bill is the first in Congress to explicitly provide for a Do Not Track mechanism.

"Right now much of the online advertising market is based on unauthorized spying on consumers," said John M. Simpson, director of Consumer Watchdog's Inside Google Project. "A Do Not Track mechanism would give consumers better control of their information and help restore their confidence in the Internet. That's a win-win for consumers and business. What kind of lasting business can be built on snooping on your customers?"

A poll by Consumer Watchdog last summer found that 80% of Americans support a Do Not Track option. A USA Today/Gallup poll released this week found that most Americans are worried about their privacy and security when they use Facebook and Google.

Read Consumer Watchdog's poll here: http://insidegoogle.com/2010/07/consumer-watchdog-poll-finds-concern-about-googles-wi-spy-snooping/

Read the USA Today poll here: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-02-09-privacypoll09_ST_N.htm

Consumer Watchdog noted that Do Not Track legislation does not solve all online privacy issues, but must be an option for consumers to have a fundamental right to privacy online.

Online privacy is one of the few issues that appears to have bipartisan backing in Congress, said Consumer Watchdog, and urged members to approve Do Not Track legislation this year.

Interest in Do Not Track legislation increased after the FTC issued a report in December backing the concept. David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection testified to Congress that a Do Not Track mechanism was both feasible and enforceable. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz recently wrote:

"We also believe, as do most American businesses, that no company loses by respecting the wishes of its customers. Do Not Track will allow the Internet to continue to thrive while protecting our basic right to privacy when we travel in cyberspace."

Other legislators are working on privacy legislation. In the House Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Il., introduced a general online privacy bill Thursday and Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fl., is expected to offer legislation soon. In the Senate, Sen. John Kerry, D-Ma., is working on a bill, while Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ar. has been considering offering Do Not Track legislation.

Comments on the FTC's report on privacy, "Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: A Proposed Framework for Businesses and Policymakers," are due next Friday, Feb. 18.

Consumer Watchdog has been working to protect consumers' online privacy rights and educate them about the issues through its Inside Google Project. The goal has been to convince Google of the social and economic importance of giving consumers control over their online lives. By persuading Google, the Internet's leading company, to adopt adequate guarantees, its policies could become the gold standard for privacy for the industry, potentially improving the performance of the entire online sector.

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E-mails Containing Malware Sent To Businesses Concerning Their Online Job Postings

2011-01-20T11:01:00.000-05:00

Recent FBI analysis reveals that cyber criminals engaging in ACH/wire transfer fraud have targeted businesses by responding via e-mail to employment opportunities posted online.

Recently, more than $150,000 was stolen from a US business via unauthorized wire transfer as a result of an e-mail the business received that contained malware. The malware was embedded in an e-mail response to a job posting the business placed on an employment website and allowed the attacker to obtain the online banking credentials of the person who was authorized to conduct financial transactions within the company. The malicious actor changed the account settings to allow the sending of wire transfers, one to the Ukraine and two to domestic accounts. The malware was identified as a Bredolab variant, svrwsc.exe. This malware was connected to the ZeuS/Zbot Trojan,
which is commonly used by cyber criminals to defraud US businesses.

The FBI recommends that potential employers remain vigilant in opening the e-mails of perspective employees. Running a virus scan prior to opening any e-mail attachments may provide an added layer of security against this type of attack. The FBI also recommends that businesses use separate computer systems to conduct financial transactions.

For more information on this type of fraud and prevention tips, please refer to previous Public Service Announcements by clicking the links below:

* http://www.ic3.gov/media/2010/CorporateAccountTakeOver.pdf
* http://www.ic3.gov/media/2010/WorkAtHome.pdf
* http://www.ic3.gov/media/2009/091103.aspx

Anyone who believes they have been a target this type of attack should immediately contact their financial institutions and local FBI office, and promptly report it to the IC3's website at www.IC3.gov. The IC3's complaint database links complaints together to refer them to the appropriate law
enforcement agency for case consideration. The IC3 also uses complaint information to identify emerging trends and patterns.

Source: IC3

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Clayton State to Host Google Interactive Workshop

2011-01-20T09:55:00.000-05:00

For the first time, Google is coming to Georgia.

Although Georgia (and Georgians) may well be used to going to Google, here's the first chance to learn how Google tools can help small businesses, without leaving the state. In partnership with the Georgia Small Business Development Center and the Clayton State University School of Business, Google will be bringing a three-hour interactive workshop to Clayton State on Wednesday, Feb. 2. The workshop will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the ballroom of the Clayton State Student Activity Center

In this workshop, participants will be shown how Google tools can help reach more customers, understand what customers are searching for, and operate more efficiently.

“We are delighted that we have this opportunity to partner with Google, one of America’s most technologically innovative companies,” says Dr. Alphonso Ogbuehi, dean of the Clayton State School of Business.

The workshop will cover online marketing best practices, including how to:

• Claim your business on Google Maps and create a Google Place Page;
• Reach the right audience using Google AdWords and boost your ad performance by choosing the right keywords and writing compelling ads;
• Use Google Analytics to track online traffic and optimize your website.

Receive half off each additional person with the purchase of the Google Interactive Workshop at full price, $49. All registrations must be made at the same time in order to receive discount. This discount can not be combined or used with any other discount or coupon. For more information, please call (678) 466-5100 or email morrow@georgiasbdc.org.

Space is limited, so interested parties are urged to sign up soon for this dynamic opportunity.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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AMBER Alert Program Expands to Facebook

2011-01-12T12:17:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Life-saving AMBER Alerts are now available to the millions of people on the social networking service Facebook. Effective today, Facebook users are able to sign up to receive AMBER Alert bulletins for their state which will be sent to them through the Facebook "News Feed" feature. A total of 53 new AMBER Alert Pages have been created, one for each state, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. Facebook users will also be able to share the AMBER Alerts with their friends.

There are more than half a billion users of Facebook. The new Facebook AMBER Alert pages represent an important expansion of the national AMBER Alert program.

"Everyone at Facebook feels a responsibility to help protect children and, as a former federal prosecutor and a father of two, I am particularly proud that we are now part of the AMBER Alert program," said Chris Sonderby, Facebook Lead Security and Investigations Counsel. "Our hearts go out to the families of the missing and our gratitude goes to the officers, volunteers, and other AMBER Alert partners who work tirelessly to bring them home. We are hopeful that today's announcement offers these dedicated officials another useful tool to find and safely recover abducted children."

Information about the new initiative was announced today by Facebook, the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The announcement was made the day before the 15th anniversary of the abduction and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, namesake of the national AMBER Alert Program.

"As the National AMBER Alert Coordinator, I am pleased to see the growth of the program's national network. I would like to thank NCMEC and Facebook for working together to develop another way the public can join with us to bring home missing and abducted children. We each can play our part by being aware and responsive to AMBER Alert postings that we will now see on Facebook," said Laurie O. Robinson, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs.

An estimated 800,000 children are reported missing every year. AMBER Alert is a voluntary partnership involving law-enforcement agencies and broadcasters. An urgent AMBER Alert bulletin is issued by law enforcement in the most serious child-abduction cases that meet specific criteria. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of the child.

"Average people doing average things but paying attention are saving lives and reuniting families," said Ernie Allen, President of NCMEC. "With more than 500 million Facebook users this bold initiative will help us mobilize many more people and bring more missing children home."

All Amber Alerts on Facebook press materials can be found at http://scr.bi/fbAMBER. The Facebook Amber Alert page is http://on.fb.me/AMBERalertFB.

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Stuttering Therapy App Launches After a Year of Clinical Testing

2011-01-11T08:14:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Following a year of clinical trials, Hollins Communications Research Institute (HCRI – www.stuttering.org), a non-profit center for stuttering research and treatment, has introduced a sophisticated stuttering therapy application that runs on iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touch devices. Featuring proprietary voice monitoring technology, the app serves as a fluency training and home-practice tool for HCRI therapy program participants.

The new app evaluates, scores, and provides immediate feedback on physical speech behaviors taught during HCRI's 12-day stuttering treatment program. During the program, participants learn how to replace faulty muscle contractions that cause stuttering with new muscle behaviors that generate fluent speech.

When therapy participants use the app in daily situations, such as a visit to a shopping mall or in a business setting, fluency measurements for each utterance are displayed in real time on the device screen. Having this data immediately available makes speech practice more effective and enhances long-term fluency outcomes. The net effect is that the user becomes more aware of what he or she is doing in order to become and remain a fluent speaker.

In addition, the app records every speech sample as an on-board file for later transmission to HCRI. This information enables the Institute's therapists to provide more detailed and precise feedback to clients, as they learn to apply new speech skills in everyday situations.

"We developed the stuttering therapy app to help program participants more easily transfer skills learned in the clinical setting to real world environments," said HCRI Founder and President Ronald L. Webster, Ph.D. "Along with being an excellent tool in the context of therapy, the app helps clients stay on track with their new fluency capabilities once they return home."

During the testing period, the application was only used during HCRI therapy so it could be closely monitored for effectiveness, accuracy, and user appeal. With the release, program participants continue to use the app in therapy and also have it installed on their devices for home-practice purposes. Former HCRI therapy participants can get the iPhone/ iPad/ iPod Touch app by emailing app@stuttering.org for downloading times and instructions.

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Christmas and Holiday Sales Were Attack Targets According to December Top 10 Malware List

2011-01-11T08:03:00.000-05:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--GFI Software, a leading IT solutions provider for small and medium-sized enterprises, today revealed continuing high levels of Trojan and rogue malware circulating during December, with data revealing a surge in activity, boosted by themed activity around the Christmas and New Year holiday period. The top 10 data is compiled from monthly scans performed by GFI's award-winning anti-malware solution, VIPRE® Antivirus, and its antispyware tool, CounterSpy®, as a service of GFI Labs™.

Users were targeted with a variety of infected email, web links and other delivery mechanisms promising festive information, discount offers, Christmas e-cards and free software. The month also saw the big movie release of the season, Disney’s TRON Legacy, targeted by a wide array of SEO poisoned links, unwanted installs and other malware fakery, while a spate of fake iTunes emails caught several people off-guard, resulting in users running afoul of a malicious script that took advantage of a known Java exploit. GFI researchers also uncovered an Amazon receipt generator scam aimed at fooling retailers into honoring fraudulent receipts during the busy holiday shopping season.

December once again saw significant activity from Trojan threats, which continue to dominate the overall malware landscape. Seven of the top 10 malware detections were Trojans, with those seven accounting for almost 35% of all malware detections for the month. In addition to a range of Trojans, Worms also created major problems during December. Most significant was Worm.Win32.Downad.Gen (v), appearing at number seven in December's top 10, a detection for the Downadup worm, otherwise known as Conficker and Kido.

Taking advantage of a vulnerability in Windows Server service which allows remote code execution when file sharing is enabled, the Worm spreads across networks as well as removable drives, taking advantage of weak administrator passwords along the way. It commonly turns off some system services and anti-malcode protection, exposing infected systems to additional infection from other malware.

“Following on from the increased themed threat traffic we saw in November around Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, criminals once again attempted to take advantage of Christmas and the holiday season with themed attacks designed to drive users towards infected sites and to trick them into opening infected email and executables. Themed attacks, along with themed SEO poisoning and fake application installs, are firmly established as a successful means for malware creators to distribute malcode and create disruption for organizations and families alike,” said Tom Kelchner, communications and research analyst for GFI Software.

“December is a challenging month for computing security, with many businesses shut for a prolonged period and consumers at home for the holidays. Casual computer use rises and vigilance can drop, creating opportunities for malware infection that would otherwise not happen the rest of the year. The top 10 serves as a stark reminder that IT security should not be taken for granted at any time,” Kelchner added.

The problem of fake software was highlighted by FraudTool.Win32.FakeVimes!delf (v), number nine on this month’s top 10. This is a heuristic detection for files associated with the FakeVimes family of rogue security products, illustrating the continued growth of fake and compromised security applications as a means to circulate and covertly install malware onto PCs.

ThreatNet is GFI Lab’s monitoring system that retrieves real-time data from VIPRE installations. Statistics come from tens of thousands of machines running VIPRE.

Top 10 detections for December

Detection

Type

Percent

Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT

Trojan

21.93

Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen

Trojan

3.79

Trojan.Win32.Generic.pak!cobra

Trojan

3.14

Trojan.Win32.Generic!SB.0

Trojan

2.78

Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen (v)

PDF Exploit

1.79

INF.Autorun (v)

Trojan

1.63

Worm.Win32.Downad.Gen (v)

Worm

1.27

Trojan.ASF.Wimad (v)

Trojan

0.77

FraudTool.Win32.FakeVimes!delf (v)

Fake App 0.73

Trojan.Win32.Meredrop

Trojan

0.72

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Tech support sucks

2011-01-01T17:38:00.000-05:00

I tried to come up with a better title, one that didn't sound so... so... crude. But there's just no two ways about it, tech support sucks these days.

I've been with a hosting company for well over 12 years and have had as many as 30 sites with them at times. They've been gobbled up a couple of times and now I'm dealing with the newest incarnation. They outsource their tech support to India, like many, many others. I know the on-hold music and know which tunes mean I'll be speaking to Sam or Frank in India or Susan in the good-ol-USA. I tried hanging up repeatedly until I got the 'right' music but soon learned that doesn't work.

A few days ago I called and asked for a simple website change. I've done it with them before, it wasn't a problem back in the days when I talked with someone state-side. This time I wasn't talking to Susan or Sandy, I was talking to someone across the ocean. It turned into a complete fiasco. It's still spiraling and tumbling.

First we had the communication problem. I'd say what I wanted, Sam would say he understood, would repeat it back and have it backwards. I'd say no, and try to explain in a different way. He'd say he understood with some frustration, repeat it back and have it wrong. It's a dance that aggravated both of us. It's one that made a 30-second sentence into a 15-minute ordeal.

Needless to say, he never understood and they totally screwed everything up. My site was down for two days. They opened the ticket, then would say they fixed it, close the ticket... I'd call and want to know why they closed the ticket since the site was still down... we didn't dance, we politely battled. I know well enough to know that if I show my anger they get snippy and punish me somehow.

We finally got it resolved after 7 (seven) different phone calls and multiple ticket re-openings. THEN, I got up this morning and the other site that was involved, which was working when I went to bed last night was down.

I made an 8:30 call, was promised it would be up within four hours. I knew better but hoped for the best. 5 p.m. and the site's still down. Called again. Now they're doing something which will take up to 24-hours to fix.

One site is working, one isn't.

I'm looking for a new hosting company. The problem I think I'm going to run into is that I have a pretty good monetary deal with these guys. I could switch to Go Daddy, but I've heard their tech support isn't any better.

I really don't expect miracles from tech support. I used to work as a liaison between tech support, back end coders and the end users. I have a pretty good grasp of all the problems that can arise. However, if you're not able to communicate it really doesn't matter whether a problem is simple, it can explode into craziness, like my simple request seems to have done.

I'm one of a million, zillion, who gripe about tech support being outsourced to other countries. I can understand why it's done, especially with hosting which really is a fairly simple thing to deal with. I guess since 'everyone' is now doing it we, the end users, are stuck. Where do we go when everyone is outsourcing to the same place?

Now, my final questions... I want to know how they ended up moving my domain registration to another company that I've never heard of... and how come they took the site down and then said they couldn't do anything about it as it must be something to do with the software I use to build my sites... and how they managed to get a band of words at the top of my down site that they say they didn't do and I know I didn't do... and... and...

Oh, um, happy new year to everyone except my hosting company and their tech support staff.

Bible.is Hits One Million Mark in Matter of Months

2010-12-27T14:15:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Bible.is, the audio-based Bible app created by Faith Comes By Hearing, has reached one million downloads in just 5 months. Faith Comes By Hearing has established its Bible.is app as an expression of their Digital Bible Project (DBP). The DBP is a platform like none other in the world, combining the latest technology with the world's largest digital library of both Bible text and audio recordings.

The free app is offered on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android devices. It is marked by its unique combination of text and audio as well as the large number of languages offered to listeners, with more being added regularly.

The ministry reports that people from 166 countries have engaged in God's Word through Bible.is, with a remarkable average listening time of 36 minutes per person.

"I am new to the whole 'techy' thing," wrote a Bible.is mobile app user, "But, I love that you can read and listen at the same time. You can have your very own Bible study anytime, anywhere."

Another user commented, "It is almost impossible to find an Audio Bible app for Mandarin! Praise the Lord He brought this app to me."

Clearly the streaming audio, available in numerous languages, is a distinction that sets Bible.is apart – which is by design. Providing audio keeps with Faith Comes By Hearing's mission to record Audio Bibles for every nation, tribe, language and people.

"While the Bible.is apps are great at home, in church and on-the-go, we really see them as a part of a larger strategy to fulfill the Great Commission," said Troy Carl, the ministry's national director and architect of the DBP. "We are excited by this rapid growth, and especially the worldwide reach this technology has produced."

The ministry is optimistic that this rapid start will only increase as the app is localized into other languages. Localization refers to the language used when downloading and navigating within the app. Until recently, that language was English. However, the ministry has just released a Spanish version and other major language adaptations are currently under way.

The ministry believes this technology will eventually allow every people group to listen to God's Word in their own language.

Currently, the ministry has Scripture recordings in 500 languages, with a goal of 2,000 by 2016.

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U.N., FCC intensify efforts to regulate electronic speech

2010-12-20T08:13:00.000-05:00

by Jerome Coursi
(c) 2010 RedAlert.WND.com
-used with permission

The United Nations is now joining Obama administration and Democratic commissioners on the FCC in an attempt to regulate the Internet.

The U.N. is reacting to concerns of member governments, including the United States, that the Internet has made companies like WikiLeaks possible, while the FCC is more concerned about conservative news outlets on the Internet that are increasingly undermining government attempts to control the news through sympathetic mainstream media outlets.

What is at stake is the future of electronic free-speech rights, as governments around the world realize how much less control government authorities have with a robust and critical press able to operate freely on the Internet.

U.N. efforts to regulate Internet

Last week, itNews.com in Australia, reported that the U.N. is considering whether to set up an inter-governmental working group to "harmonize" global efforts by policymakers to regulate the Internet.

The U.N. claims authority to regulate the Internet under a U.N. Economic and Social Council resolution passed in July that invited the U.N. secretary-general to begin discussions on coordinating government efforts to regulate the Internet on a global basis.

Obviously, the U.N. is uncomfortable with anything like the Internet that the globalists cannot control.

FCC moves to regulate the Internet

The FCC is preparing in its Dec. 21 meeting this week to vote on a proposal called "net neutrality."

The Obama administration likes to portray the proposed 85 pages of "net neutrality" rules as a way to ensure no user will be shut out of Internet access because of the user's content.

In other words, under the leadership of Chairman Julius Genachowski, an Obama administration Democrat, the FCC plans to use free expression arguments to set up a structure where the FCC would be the ultimate arbiter of who gets broadband Internet access and who does not.

In proceeding to regulate the Internet, the FCC, under Genachowski's direction, is choosing to ignore a unanimous ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last April that ruled the FCC lacked the authority to regulate the Internet.

Congress seeks to block FCC on net neutrality rules

Last week, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, the ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, filed an amendment to an appropriations bill aimed at blocking the FCC from adopting net neutrality, the Washington Post reported.

Hutchison's amendment would stop the FCC from using public money to implement any rule that would regulate Internet traffic, according to Reuters.

Republicans are concerned that the FCC's net neutrality proposal is an attempt to get the FCC's foot in the door to wide-ranging government control, extending over not just Internet operating procedures, but ultimately over Internet content.

Incoming House Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., along with Communications Chairman Greg Waldren, R-Or., and Vice Communications Chairman Lee Terry, R-Neb., wrote to the FCC last week with their concerns that the FCC has not been transparent about its effort to regulate the Internet, the Hill reported.

They demanded Genachowski release all 85 pages of his net neutrality proposal before the FCC votes on the rules this week.

On Wednesday, a group of 29 Republican senators wrote their own letter to Genachowski, warning him that if the FCC goes ahead to vote net neutrality, they will actively work to repeal the rules in the next Congress, according to the Daily Caller.

"You and the Commission's general counsel have admitted in published statements that the legal justification for imposing these new regulations is questionable and has 'serious risk of failure in court,'" the letter said.

The letter went on to stress that Congress has not granted the FCC the specific statutory authority to regulate the Internet, stating, "Whether and how the Internet should be regulated is something that America's elected representatives in Congress, not the Commission, should determine."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jerome R. Corsi received a Ph.D. from Harvard University in political science in 1972. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling books THE OBAMA NATION: LEFTIST POLITICS AND THE CULT OF PERSONALITY and the co-author of UNFIT FOR COMMAND: SWIFT BOAT VETERANS SPEAK OUT AGAINST JOHN KERRY. He is also the author of AMERICA FOR SALE, THE LATE GREAT U.S.A., and WHY ISRAEL CAN'T WAIT. Currently, Dr. Corsi is a Senior Managing Director in the Financial Services Group at Gilford Securities as well as a senior staff writer for WorldNetDaily.com.

Keep Your Phone Working and Your Connection Warm in the Cold Outdoors: Tips From Verizon Wireless

2010-12-17T14:59:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- With wintry weather making an early and frigid debut across the nation, Verizon Wireless, owner and operator of the nation's largest and most reliable 3G network, offers the following tips to help consumers use their wireless phones when it's cold outside:

* Keep your phone fully charged. Cold temperatures can run down the phone's battery charge more quickly. Use a car charger to keep the phone's charge if you get stranded or stuck in traffic on icy or snowy roads. Think about an extra battery as backup.
* Handle your phone with care. The display screen can become brittle when exposed to cold temperatures for long periods of time.
* Keep your phone in a warm place; avoid leaving it in an outside pocket or backpack or in the car overnight. When outside in the cold weather, carry your phone in an inside jacket pocket, keeping it close to your body for warmth.
* Remember you can't dial or access the keyboard on a touch screen with gloves, so consider adding finger flip gloves to your winter holiday wish list.
* Download free winter apps to your phone from Android Market™ such as:
o Winter Weather Outlooks – Allows you access to the National Weather Service Winter Weather Outlooks, so you'll know what kind of winter weather is headed your way.
o How Cold Is It? – A wallpaper that changes color depending on the outside temperature – deep red when it's hot and icy white when it's freezing.
o ShoppeHUB – This app allows you to make secure purchases on cold weather gear, including winter clothing.
o Coffee Recipes – Choose from more than 90 easy coffee recipes that will be sure to keep you warm.

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16-year old Launches Top 25 iPhone App

2010-12-16T10:07:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- In the style of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, 16-year old computer whiz kid William LeGate takes the Apple App Store by storm. With the launch of a new free App for iPhone through his company Imagination Research Labs, LeGates' Game Giveaway enjoyed overnight success. Each day Game Giveaway gives away a high quality paid game for free. Game Giveaway allows users to download a paid game for free everyday and developers to promote their games.

With over 300,000 game applications available for iPhone users, Game Giveaway gained instant popularity in just weeks on the market. With 100,000 downloads of Game Giveaway in just 24 hours, the App quickly rose to number two on the Top 25 Free iPhone applications with a 4.5 out of 5 star rating.

The first game promoted by Game Giveaway, Paper Ninja soared to number one in the App store creating a whirlwind of enthusiasm for game developers to promote their games through the App.

"It's basically a Groupon for the mobile gaming environment except that it's completely free," said developer William LeGate.

Game Giveaway provides a high quality game for free each day to users of the free Game Giveaway iPhone App. For 24-hours the Giveaway of the Day is available for users to download and keep forever.

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YouTube Becomes 'National Security Issue'

2010-12-14T14:40:00.000-05:00

Conducting interviews on this topic is the news editor of WND.com, the largest independent Internet news service in the U.S., Bob Unruh.

Forum called 'leading website' for online jihad

By Bob Unruh
(c) 2010 WorldNetDaily

A new report from the Middle East Media Research Institute charges that YouTube has emerged as "the leading website for online jihad," replacing and surpassing even websites that the jihadists themselves are running.

The in-depth report, with dozens of examples, links and illustrations, documents that MEMRI already has briefed members of the U.S. government and Congress on the issue, and has offered its expertise to YouTube directly to identify videos that "incite violence and terrorist acts for possible removal.'

The report by Steven Stalinsky, the executive director of MEMRI, a donor-supported organization that monitors and reports on media issues from the Middle East, calls the use of the video-sharing service by terrorists worldwide "a grave national security issue."

The report was published only days ago, but is part of a series of analyses of the issue that MEMRI has been documenting for some time. And in fact the LA Times reported just yesterday that YouTube has created a new option that users now can flag a video for removal because of its promotion of terrorism.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Independent senator from Connecticut, called the protocol a "good first step toward scrubbing mainstream Internet sites of terrorist propaganda," according to the Times.

It was several weeks ago when YouTube banished from its servers videos - numbering in the hundreds - that featured the American-turned-fugitive Anwar al-Awlawki. His videos, however, still can be fouind on the site.

YouTube officials did not comment when WND asked for confirmation that the investigation produced its policy change, but they told the Times that they are committed to making sure the site isn't used to spread "terrorist propaganda or incite violence."

MEMRI said it has investigated thoroughly the issues of YouTube, especially relating to al-Awlaki, and in fact, has reported on the videos he posted, those who watched them, the YouTube work of the Taliban as well as the expanding jihadi base committed to using YouTube.

The newest chapter documents the posting of videos of American soldiers being killed by improvised explosive devices and snipers in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"While YouTube should be applauded for adding new staff and a new function to identify and remove jihadi videos, this is only a beginning," MEMRI reported. "The removal of content is one part of the problem; the other part is keeping these videos from being posted in the first place - as shown by the recent removal of hundreds of Anwar al-Awlaki videos that were quickly reposted to other pages.

"It is no exaggeration to say that hundreds of thousands of assorted jihadi videos can be found on YouTube They include sermons by terrorist leaders, training videos by terrorists, footage of terrorist attacks, songs (nasheeds) to inspire terrorists, and much more. These videos are not only in English, but in dozens of other languages."

The report said the YouTube action followed the reporting that over the last few months, "numerous followers of Anwar al-Awlkai have been found guilty of involvement in terrorism. They all have one thing in common - they were incited by viewing him on YouTube."

Cited as an example was a video from "WachdogofAllah1" who posted a message on Nov. 4, warning of looming violence in Iraq, Egypt and "other countries."

"You have among us hundreds of thousands of followers, and hundreds of churches," the video warned, "and they will all be our targets if you do not respond."

Another video, the report said, praised Nidal Hassan, accused of killing more than a dozen at Fort Hood in Texas, as "a wonderful example."

MEMRI said among those who have been inspired to jihad by YouTube videos, had have subsequently been arrested, include:

* Zachary Adam Chesser, 02, from Virginia, who was arrested in July 2010 attempting to carry out jihad with al-Qaida in Somalia.

* Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, 21, who was arrested in Hawaii on October 21, 2010, for making false statements in a terrorism case.

* Paul and Nadia Rockwood, Alaska, a converted couple who pleaded guilty in July 2010 after being accused of creating a hit list of local media, religious officials, and military who "desecrated Islam."

* Mahmood Alessa and Carlos Eduardo Almonte, New Jersey, arrested in June 2010 en route to join al-Qaida forces in Somalia, hoping to kill U.S. troops.

"Al-Qaida and its affiliates use YouTube to spread propaganda online and to train followers for various actions," the report said. "Most jihadi websites now post links of major terrorist videos directly to YouTube."

Further, the jihadi-promoting videos include disturbing images of U.S. soldiers being killed in IED attacks as well as U.S. soldiers being shot and images of a decapitated soldier.

One YouTube Channel is marked "mujahidRPG's Channel" and features video after video after video of coalition vehicles disappearing into a a flash of flame and black smoke.

"In addition to clips of jihad against the West and the Jews, YouTube also has clips by Islamist groups calling for jihad against Christians. In one recent example, dated November 4, 2010, YouTube user 'WachdogofAllah1' posted a 'message from the soldier of the martyr battalion to the Christians in Egypt,'" the report said.
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GFI Software Announces Top 10 Malware Threats for November

2010-12-09T09:34:00.000-05:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--GFI Software, a leading IT solutions provider for small and medium-sized enterprises, today announced the top 10 most prevalent malware threats for the month of November 2010. The report, compiled from monthly scans performed by GFI's award-winning anti-malware solution, VIPRE® Antivirus, and its antispyware tool, CounterSpy®, is a service of GFI Labs™.

As in recent months, Trojans dominated the threat landscape in November. ThreatNet data revealed that seven of the top 10 malware threats were classified as Trojans. The number-one detection, Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT, is a Trojan comprising over 20 percent of the ThreatNet detections.

Tom Kelchner, GFI Software communications and research analyst said, “There is another picture in the top-10 numbers. Three of them go after applications or server software that hasn’t been patched. The number six detection, Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen (v), tries to exploit a security flaw in PDF files with embedded JavaScript. That’s aiming at Adobe products. It often installs downloaders that pull down other malware from remote Web sites.”

Worm.Win32.Downad.Gen (v,) the Downadup worm (also called Conficker and Kido) in the number seven spot, is a worm that spreads across a network by taking advantage of a vulnerability in Windows Server service which allows remote code execution when file sharing is enabled. This vulnerability was patched some time ago.

Trojan.ASF.Wimad (v), in the number nine spot, is a VIPRE detection for a group of Trojanized Windows media files that exploit an old vulnerability in Windows Media Player. It redirects the victim’s browser to a web site to download malicious files. This is also is an old vulnerability that’s been fixed.

“If this malcode is still circulating, it means that the malcode writers are seeing a landscape with lots of unpatched and vulnerable machines. The conclusion is pretty clear for both enterprises and consumers: update Windows operating systems (including servers), browsers, Adobe products and media players and keep them updated,” said Kelchner.

ThreatNet is GFI Lab’s monitoring system that retrieves real-time data from VIPRE installations. Statistics come from tens of thousands of machines running VIPRE.

Top 10 detections for November
Detection		Type	Percent

1.	Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT	Trojan	22.44
2.	Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen	Trojan	3.88
3.	Trojan.Win32.Generic.pak!cobra	Trojan	3.53
4.	Trojan.Win32.Generic!SB.0	Trojan	3.46
5.	INF.Autorun (v)	Trojan	1.83
6.	Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen (v)	Exploit	1.45
7.	Worm.Win32.Downad.Gen (v)	Worm.W32	1.42
8.	Trojan.Win32.Malware.a	Trojan	0.83
9.	Trojan.ASF.Wimad (v)	Trojan	0.76
10.	Trojan.Win32.Meredrop	Trojan Downloader	0.68

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From rogue AV to fake disk clean-up utilities

2010-12-08T10:17:00.002-05:00

From rogue AV to fake disk clean-up utilities

Security researchers are reporting a surge in fake disk clean-up utilities reporting PC errors and demanding an activation fee to fix these problems.

READ FULL STORY - ZD-Net

Could This Be the Answer? The Answer Parents, Teachers, Judges, Prison Officials, Government Agencies and Even DOT Secretary LaHood are Searching For? Try Safety First Believes It Is

2010-12-02T12:09:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Try Safety First (TSF) has invented new technology which promises a free solution to save lives, create jobs, improve education, reduce taxes, eliminate prison contraband, add $1.7 billion per year toward reducing the federal deficit and save the U.S. up to $450 billion each year.

Sounds sort of like a campaign promise and, in essence, it could be. Try Safety First (TSF) has developed a new set of wireless protocols for which they are seeking a congressional mandate. And various members of Congress have asked them for endorsement letters to show support for their technology. So if this applies to you, a respectful reply of an email, letter or phone call is being requested. A link to your congressman is provided below.

According to TSF, most people including many of our congressional leaders simply are not aware of the number or the magnitude of problems today's wireless technology presents. John Fischer, President and CEO of Try Safety First, says he usually begins by asking the following questions:

1. What piece of technology is the #1 smuggled prison contraband followed by heroin, cocaine and meth?
2. What piece of technology is the #1 cause of roadway accidents, the #1 killer of teens and, according to the World Health Organization, is costing the U.S. as much as three percent of its GDP?
3. What piece of technology is the #1 disruption in middle schools, high schools and colleges across the U.S.?
4. What piece of technology is the #1 cause of mistrials in court systems throughout the U.S.?
5. What piece of technology do terrorists use to detonate more than 60% of their IEDs?

Answer: the cell phone, but you already knew that. There is one simple solution to answer all of these problems and TSF claims to have it. That answer is to include in the operating system of each wireless device a standardized set of protocols expressly directing specific behavior whenever the phone is in a matching protocol limited range environment. In other words, the phone understands how to behave as such:

1. In a prison, the phone becomes disabled. Exception: guard is wearing matching protocol sensor disablement tag or in a common area where cell use is allowed.
2. In a vehicle, within one meter of the driver's seat, the texting and email features will be inhibited while allowing passengers' full use of their phones.
3. In a classroom, the teacher receives a remote classroom protocol switch which encourages use of the phone as a teaching tool, yet affords partial disablement when giving a quiz. All emergency 911 functionality remains intact along with two parental protocols.
4. In a courtroom or high security building, a judge/employer can silence all pedestrian phones and/or disable all juror phones. Again, all emergency 911 functionality remains intact.
5. In the line of fire, bomb experts can disable protocol enabled IEDs, making it increasingly more difficult for a terrorist to use a standard cell phone to detonate a roadside bomb.

When asked if TSF technology is just a tad bit too much government intrusion, Fischer responded emphatically NO. Use of a cell phone is not a right but a privilege, and we must respect it for everything that it is and realize we are not somehow magically immune to its dangers. The cell phone is much greater than a simple toy capable of doing some really cool things. Fischer believes the cell phone may be one of the greatest inventions ever known, but he says it was never envisioned to be smuggled contraband, facilitate massive cheating and disruption among students, cause an accident every 47 seconds or be a terrorist's best friend. Unfortunately, it has become the key ingredient in many disastrous recipes and we must not let good judgment be overtaken by our addiction to these cool gadgets. Fischer is certain the problems will only get worse unless we increase the functionality of our mobile devices to include a simple set of standard safety protocols.

Fischer is looking to start several grassroots efforts among various groups (parents, teachers, judges, prison officials, military personnel, homeland security and governors) to show support for these protocols. Anyone can write an email or make a phone call. Simply tell your congressional representative you support TSF safety protocol adoption. Your congressional representative link is: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml. Fischer is also requesting a copy of your endorsement be sent to admin@trysafetyfirst.com.

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Free Report Reveals Why WikiLeaks Backlash is the Beginning of Controversy to Come

2010-11-30T22:12:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The WikiLeaks controversy will prove to be the first minor skirmish of an epic battle over unregulated Internet and relinquished freedoms, according to a free report now available from The Socionomics Institute. Researchers at the Georgia-based think tank observe that social polarization and conflict increase during financial bear markets. Their research shows that the WikiLeaks releases are expressions of the rising anger and opposition that accompanies declining stock prices and economic activity.

In a May 2010 report, available now for free, researcher Alan Hall predicted that WikiLeaks would become a lightning rod of conflict. Since then, the whistleblower website has twice published the largest-ever leaks of classified U.S. documents. The latest release embarrasses world leaders. France said the transparency threatens "authority and democratic sovereignty" and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the release an attack on America's foreign policy interests.

The Socionomics Institute studies social behavior as it relates to the financial markets. Researchers use the financial markets and other indicators of social mood to forecast monumental changes in society.

Hall forecasts that as prevailing mood sours and financial markets turn south, governments will increase their efforts to regulate and control the Internet. He observes, "A government that feels threatened by its citizens usually clamps down on the information flow. This makes the Internet a prime battleground." Follow this link to access your complimentary report on WikiLeaks and authoritarianism: http://www.socionomics.net/free-reports/1008/wikileaks-authoritarianism-update.aspx?code=pr

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Digital Bible Project Expands with Redesign of Bible.is Site

2010-11-30T08:54:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Digital Bible Project (DBP), introduced in March of this year by Faith Comes By Hearing, is today announcing the launch of the recently redesigned Bible.is web site. Originally home to information on the ministry's free Bible apps, the revamped site now allows users to read, listen to and even share their favorite verses via social networks like Facebook and Twitter, right from their computer.

The Bible.is site currently offers the Scripture in 96 languages, with more being added regularly. This keeps with Faith Comes By Hearing's mission to use heart-language Audio Bibles to "make disciples from every nation, tribe, language and people."

The same functionality has been available through free Bible apps on iPhone, iPad, iTouch and the Android operating system since this summer. While the ministry continues to develop their app for other smartphones and mobile devices, the Bible.is site allows anyone with an Internet connection to immediately access God's Word in both text and audio.

Scripture in audio continues to be the ministry's primary focus as they attempt to reach out to the 50% of the world's population who are illiterate.

"With half of the world unable to read – not to mention those who interact and get their daily news and information orally by choice – we must continue to provide the Gospel message in a format that engages the listener and keeps their attention," stated Troy Carl, Faith Comes By Hearing's national director.

Carl helped create the DBP for the ministry and he currently oversees the development and implementation of the project. Since its initial release, the average listening time on the audio-based Bible apps has been 37 minutes.

While the redesigned Bible.is site is an important event for Faith Comes By Hearing, Carl is looking down the road to every language recording done by the ministry being available on the site and through their Bible apps.

"Advancements in smartphones and satellite technology make this an exciting time to be working toward fulfilling the Great Commission," says Carl. "We live in a time that could see the vast majority of the world with the potential to hold the Word of God in the palm of their hand."

The ministry has recorded Audio Bibles in 500 languages. Their goal is to complete 2,000 language recordings by 2016. The average cost to record the New Testament in a people's heart language is $25,596.

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Delta to Add Inflight Wi-Fi to 223 Delta Connection Jets

2010-11-29T16:50:00.000-05:00

PRNewswire -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced it will add onboard Wi-Fi to 223 regional jet aircraft operated by Delta Connection carriers, expanding by 40 percent the number of Delta aircraft featuring Gogo Inflight Internet service. Delta will be the first domestic carrier to deploy Wi-Fi across its entire mainline and regional aircraft fleets with two classes of service.

Delta completed installing Wi-Fi on all mainline domestic aircraft earlier this month.

"Adding Wi-Fi capabilities to our two-class regional jets marks another milestone in our efforts to invest more than $2 billion to enhance our airport facilities, aircraft fleet and onboard services for customers through 2013," said Tim Mapes, Delta's senior vice president – Marketing. "We continue to make significant progress in aligning the products and services offered by our regional airline partners so that Delta customers have an experience consistent with that available aboard Delta's mainline fleet."

Installations of Wi-Fi on Delta Connection jets will begin in January and will be complete by the end of 2011. Once complete, customers flying on all Delta domestic flights with a First Class cabin will enjoy Wi-Fi access, including service on every Delta Shuttle flight between New York-LaGuardia and Boston, Chicago-O'Hare and Washington, D.C.

Delta began installing Wi-Fi on domestic mainline aircraft in 2008, becoming the first airline to announce plans for inflight Internet service on all domestic aircraft. With 549 mainline aircraft and the addition of 223 regional jets to the Wi-Fi program, more than 80 percent of Delta's domestic fleet – or 772 aircraft – will feature Gogo Inflight Internet access.

Delta Connection aircraft featuring First Class cabins include Embraer 175, Bombardier CRJ700 and Bombardier CRJ900 models operated by Delta Connection. The aircraft feature between nine and 12 seats in First Class and between 56 and 64 seats in Economy.

In addition to Wi-Fi, Delta has taken a number of steps to fully align service on Delta Connection and mainline flights. Recent improvements have included adding First Class cabins to 66 additional CRJ700 jets; introducing meal service in First Class on regional jets; adding china, linen and silverware to Delta Connection First Class cabins and installing more jetbridges at Delta hubs to reduce ground-level boarding of regional jets.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 351 destinations in 64 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs more than 75,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, the world's largest airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.

A portion of travel for some itineraries may be on the Delta Connection carriers: Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Comair, Compass Airlines, Mesaba, Pinnacle Airlines, Shuttle America dba Delta Shuttle, and SkyWest.

Terms and Conditions

Additional restrictions may apply. Offers subject to change. Use of the Gogo Inflight Internet service is subject to terms of use available at gogoinflight.com.

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TV industry beginning 'second digital switchover'

2010-11-19T07:40:00.000-05:00

Conference hears that growth of video-on-demand is causing problems for cable operators in the US, and the same trend is coming to the UK. Read more:
http://link.ft.com/r/5F39HH/D4TMQE/EMTMM/FXGQIM/FXPB94/RF/t?a1=2010&a2=11&a3=19

Clayton State Student Help Desk Wins Video Contest at USG Computing Conference

2010-10-30T19:28:00.000-04:00

Members of the Clayton State University’s IT student help desk, The HUB, have proven equally skilled in the video arena as they are in the information technology arena.

At the University System of Georgia’s recent 39th Annual Computing Conference at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Ga., the HUB won first place in the 2010 Video Contest with their LANDesk Man entry.

“LANDesk Man is our very own resident warrior against evil and viri!” exclaims Shannon Thomas, Clayton State director of Client Services. “LANDesk Man is capable of exterminating the nastiest, most frustrating forms of virtual infections with little effort nor stress to your computer's performance. LANDesk Man is as capable of vanquishing malicious programs within the blink of an eye.”

The HUB staff who created the winning video included Sherry Paul, Corey Wagner, Courtney Pipkins, Chris Baldwin, Simeon Payne, Ryan Belom, Daniel Stone and Broderick McNeal, along with help from the University’s Center for Instructional Development.

The Computing Conference provides the opportunity for technology professionals and technology users throughout the System to exchange information with their peers and gain an accurate picture of the current and future state of technology.

The HUB’s winning video can be seen at; http://thehub.clayton.edu/landesk/. For more HUB videos, visit their YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/CSUTheHUB.

New Trojan Program Attacks Macintosh Computers

2010-10-29T07:06:00.000-04:00

The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.eogn.com.

Windows users have been plagued for years with viruses, keyloggers, Trojan horse programs, and other forms of malware (malevolent software). During this time, Macintosh users have simply smiled as their computers were safe and secure. Most Mac users don't even bother purchasing anti-virus programs as they have never had a need for such things. This complacency may be ending, however.

A newly discovered Trojan horse spreading through social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, targets Apple's Mac OS X operating system, including the latest version, 10.6 Snow Leopard, by baiting users into clicking a link. Computers become infected when someone visits a social networking site and sees a message that reads, "Is this you in this video?" Clicking the infected link loads an infected file into your computer.

Antivirus firm Intego issued a notice Wednesday suggesting that the Trojan, a Mac version of the "Koobface" worm, carries a "low risk." The security firm said that the current Mac OS X implementation is flawed, though it admitted the threat exists and is likely to become a more legitimate concern in the future. Apple is expected to soon release an operating system update that will block the new Trojan.

The program, called trojan.osx.boonana.a, runs a Java applet that attempts to download files to any Macintosh system. It then automatically launches an installer that modifies system files and allows remote access to all files on the system. It also checks in with control servers to report information from the infected system. The Trojan also automatically runs in the background at startup, and attempts to hide its activities across multiple files. The thieves who write this malware are then free to remotely connect to your computer and copy any files they wish.

If your computer becomes infected, it is easily cured. SecureMac has released a FREE removal tool to eliminate this threat, which can be downloaded by visiting http://www.securemac.com or downloaded directly from http://macscan.securemac.com/files/BTRT.dmg

Intego's VirusBarrier X6 and X5 at http://www.intego.com/virusbarrier/ sells for $49.95 and will detect and remove the malware. It also offers ongoing protection to block future viruses and Trojans, unlike the free SecureMac program that only removes existing problems.

Luckily, the new Trojan is easily avoided. The safest course of action is to not use social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace and Twitter). However, if you insist on using such sites, never click on any messages or links, even if those messages and links that claim to be from people you know. Your friends' names and email addresses are easily forged by malware programs. The message "Is this you in this video?" is an obvious trap but future versions of this malware could easily use different messages.

Users can further protect themselves from infection by turning off Java in their web browser, although this will also block many legitimate web sites. Java can be turned off in Safari by clicking the Security tab under Safari Preferences, and making sure the "Enable Java" checkbox is unchecked. Firefox, Opera, Camino, and other web browsers also can run without Java.

Finally, use the security features built into OS X. Turn on the built-in firewall, especially when a computer is shared by multiple users. Instructions for turning it on may be found on a number of web sites, including at http://www.cmu.edu/computing/doc/security/mac/firewall.html

Again, the simplest and safest solution is to not visit web sites where viruses and Trojans are known to exist. At this time, the highest risk is on the social networking web sites.

Linux computers are not affected by the new Macintosh Trojan or by the various Windows viruses and Trojans.

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24-Hour Johnny Cash Internet Radio Station Launches

2010-10-21T08:34:00.000-04:00

/24-7/ -- Johnny Cash fans around the world can now tune in to Johnny Cash Radio, a new venture launched by Bill Miller who, along with the late Johnny Cash, founded the official Johnny Cash website 14 years ago.

The station, www.johnnycashradio.com, streams Johnny Cash music and content 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "Johnny Cash Radio is a dream come true for Johnny's millions of fans around the globe. We are the source for all things Cash, and our lineup includes programming hosted by Johnny's own family members, friends, former band members and others in the music industry," said Miller.

Among the family members who host their own shows is the wife of John Carter Cash (Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash's only son), Laura Cash, and Johnny's youngest sister, Joanne Cash Yates. The programs range from DJ-style shows to documentaries featuring interviews with Cash friends and associates to rare vintage performances by the Man in Black spanning his five decades strong career.

Miller and his wife Shannon host the weekly webcast, The Johnny Cash Radio Show, which features guests such as Kris Kristofferson, Graham Nash, Merle Haggard, Rosanne Cash, Jane Seymour, Charlie Daniels, The Oak Ridge Boys and friends, family members and associates who knew Cash.

"There are few other entertainers whose body of work could sustain a 24 hour, seven days a week radio stream. With Johnny Cash's five decades of writing and recording, our station is always fresh and relevant," Miller said.

Johnny Cash began his career in music in 1954 and has sold over 100 million records. He is the only entertainer in history to be inducted into the Country Music, Rock & Roll and Songwriter's Halls of Fame. His life story was chronicled in the 2005 blockbuster film Walk the Line which starred Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon as Johnny Cash and June Carter.

The Johnny Cash Radio stream is powered by Live365.Com

JohnnyCash.Com and JohnnyCashRadio.Com serve fans of the Man in Black from around the world. For further information, please contact Bill Miller at odysgroup@aol.com.

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Fraud Advisory for Consumers: Involvement in Criminal Activity through Work from Home Scams

2010-10-20T10:46:00.000-04:00

Consumers continue to lose money from work-from-home scams that assist cyber criminals move stolen funds. Worse yet, due to their deliberate or unknowing participation in the scams, these individuals may face criminal charges.

Work-from-home scam victims are often recruited by organized cyber criminals through newspaper ads, online employment services, unsolicited emails or “spam”,¹ and social networking sites advertising work-from-home opportunities. Once recruited, however, rather than becoming an employee of a legitimate business, the consumer is actually a “mule” for cyber criminals who use the consumer’s or other victim's accounts to steal and launder money. In addition, the consumer’s own identity or account may be compromised by the cyber criminals.

Example of a Work-From-Home Scheme:

• An individual applies for a position as a rebate or payments processor² through an online job site or through an unsolicited email.
• As a new employee, the individual is asked to provide his/her bank account information to his/her employer or to establish a new account using information provided by the employer.
• Funds are deposited into the account that the employee is instructed to wire to a third (often
international) account. The employee is instructed to deduct a percentage of the wired
amount as their commission.
• However, rather than processing rebates or processing payments, the individual is actually
participating in a criminal activity by laundering stolen funds through his/her own account or a newly established account.

In February 2010, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) coordinated with state law enforcement officials and other federal agencies to announce a sweeping crack down on job and work-from-home fraud schemes fueled by the economic downturn. Individuals who are knowing or unknowing participants in this type of scheme could be prosecuted.

Protect Yourself:

• Be wary of work-from-home opportunities. Research the legitimacy of the company through the Better Business Bureau³ (for US-based companies) or WHOIS/Domain Tools⁴ (for international companies) before providing personal or account information and/or agreeing to work for them. In addition, TrustedSource.org can help you identify companies that may be maliciously sending spam based on the volume of email sent from their Internet Protocol (IP)⁵ addresses. See also the FTC’s recommendations⁶.
• Be cautious about any opportunities offering the chance to work from home with very little work or prior experience. Remember: if it looks too good to be true, it usually is.
• Never pay for the privilege of working for an employer. Be suspicious of opportunities that require you to pay for things up front, such as supplies and other materials.
• Never give your bank account details to anyone unless you know and trust them.
• If you think you may be a victim of one of these scams, contact your financial institution
immediately. Report any suspicious work-from-home offers or activities to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)⁷ at http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.

For more information, visit:
• PhishBucket.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting job seekers fromfraudulent job offers.
• OnGuardOnline.org. Sponsored by the FTC, this site provides practical tips from the
federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet
fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.
• Better Business Bureau, http://www.bbb.org/us/article/work-at-home-schemes-408.

¹ Cyber criminals may also spoof a legitimate business to entice you into opening the email, which may contain a fraudulent application for information or malware.
² Other common job titles for these schemes include trading partner or currency trader.
³ http://www.bbb.org/
⁴http://www.domaintools.com/
⁵An IP address identifies the company’s website host or network interface and location.
⁶http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/email-scams.aspx#3
⁷The IC3 is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

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President Obama Signs Historic Technology Access Bill

2010-10-08T17:39:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Today, joined by disability-rights advocates and tech industry representatives, President Obama signed into law the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. The legislation requires smart phones, television programs and other modern communications technologies to be accessible to people with vision or hearing loss.

"This law is life-changing for the millions of us with disabilities who are too often unable to take advantage of new technologies," said Paul Schroeder, Vice President of Programs & Policy at the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). "It opens the door to the digital age, and gives Americans with visual or hearing impairments equal access to smart phones, emergency broadcast information, the menus and controls on televisions and cable TV guides, and much more."

Signed into law during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, this legislation is expected to create more opportunities in the work place, the classroom, and everyday life. "It will help Americans with disabilities work more productively, respond to emergencies more effectively, and participate even more in society and culture," said Mark Richert, Director of Public Policy at AFB and a principal negotiator with the communications and TV industries.

"This law builds on the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act and ensures people with disabilities can fully participate in the 21st century," said Carl R. Augusto, AFB's President & CEO. "We applaud the many advocates and lawmakers who fought tirelessly to make this law a reality."

The legislation gives individuals with vision or hearing loss improved access to television programming, smart phones, the Internet, menus on DVD players, program guides on cable TV, and more. Specifically, it:

* Mandates mobile phone companies to make web browsers, text messaging, and e-mail on smart phones fully accessible.
* Restores and expands requirements for video description of television programs, in addition to requiring cable companies to make their program guides and selection menus accessible to people with vision loss.
* Ensures people with vision loss have access to emergency broadcast information.
* Provides $10 million in funding each year for assistive technology for deaf-blind individuals.
* Ensures that Internet-enabled mobile phones are hearing aid compatible.

The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act passed Congress with bipartisan support. A number of members played a key role in moving the legislation forward. In the U.S. Senate, the bill was championed by Senator Pryor (D-AR), with the support of Senator Kerry (D-MA), Senator Rockefeller (D-WV), Senator Hutchison (R-TX), and Senator Ensign (R-NV). In the U.S. House, it was championed by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), with the support of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA), Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), and Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL).

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national nonprofit that expands possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB's priorities include broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss; and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. AFB is also proud to house the Helen Keller Archives and honor the more than forty years that Helen Keller worked tirelessly with AFB. For more information visit us online at www.afb.org.

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Fake iTunes Bill Can Drain Your Bank Account

2010-10-07T07:06:00.000-04:00

I received one of these email messages a few days ago. Luckily, Gmail placed it in my spam folder so I didn't see it until today when I went looking for it. You have to hand it to these scam artists: they certainly are clever at devising methods of stealing your money.

I wrote a couple of days ago at http://goo.gl/nvl9 about a "trojan" email message that steals your user IDs and passwords to your online banking account. This new scam is a different Trojan message with a very clever delivery method.

The new scam sends a fake "iTunes receipt" email message to millions of people. The message appears to be completely authentic, except for the price shown in your bill. The message I received was for nearly $1,000. That's part of the trap.

Most people are likely to take action when seeing an "incorrect amount" appear on their bill. (I didn't do that because I never saw the "bill" in my spam folder until I went looking for it later, after reading about the new scam.) Most people will click on the "report a problem" link that is included in the email message. However, that link takes you to a rogue web page that downloads the same Zeus trojan malware as described in the earlier article to your Windows computer. (Linux and Macintosh computers will not be affected.)

The program then waits for the user to log onto a list of targeted banks and financial institutions, and then steals login credentials and other data which are immediately sent to a remote server hosted by cybercriminals. It can also modify, in a user’s browser, the genuine web pages from a bank’s web servers to ask for personal information such as payment card number and PIN, one time passwords, etc.

Panda Labs released a statement explaining the infection process:
"After clicking the link, the victim is asked to download a fake PDF reader. Once installation is complete, the user is redirected to an infected web page containing the Zeus Trojan, which is specifically designed to steal personal data."
Here is the full announcement from Panda Labs:
Massive Phishing Attack Uses iTunes as Lure to Steal Bank Details, Reports PandaLabs

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 4 -- PandaLabs, Panda Security's antimalware laboratory, has discovered that Apple's popular iTunes platform has become a major target for hackers looking to steal credit card data from the service's millions of users.

Victims receive a cleverly-crafted email informing them that they have made an expensive purchase on iTunes. The user, having never made the purchase to begin with, is concerned by the email and naturally tries to resolve the problem – in this case by clicking on the proffered (fake) link. An example of this fraudulent iTunes receipt can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/panda_security/5050360091/

After clicking the link, the victim is asked to download a fake PDF reader. Once installation is complete, the user is redirected to an infected Web page containing the Zeus Trojan, which is specifically designed to steal personal data. This phishing attack was uncovered shortly after a similar phishing attack targeting LinkedIn users appeared last week, which appears to have originated in Russia.

"Phishing is nothing new," said Luis Corrons, Technical Director of PandaLabs. "What never ceases to surprise us is that the techniques used to trick victims continue to be so simple, but the design and content is so very well-orchestrated. It's very easy to fall into the trap. When using services such as iTunes, it is absolutely crucial that users never go to the website via email, but rather from the platform itself where they can verify their account status."

This technique has been reported to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, which has started to block some of the Web addresses linked to in the fake email.

PandaLabs advises all users to be wary of any emails related to iTunes, regardless of how genuine they seem. Users who think they may have been affected are urged to scan their computers thoroughly to locate and remove any possible active threats. [Windows] Users who do not have an antivirus installed can use Panda Cloud Antivirus, a free security service available at www.cloudantivirus.com.

More information is available in the PandaLabs Blog.

About PandaLabs

Since 1990, its mission has been to detect and eliminate new threats as rapidly as possible to offer our clients maximum security. To do so, PandaLabs has an innovative automated system that analyzes and classifies thousands of new samples a day and returns automatic verdicts (malware or goodware). This system is the basis of collective intelligence, Panda Security's new security model which can even detect malware that has evaded other security solutions.

Currently, 99.4 percent of malware detected by PandaLabs is analyzed through this system of collective intelligence. This is complemented through the work of several teams, each specialized in a specific type of malware (viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, phishing, spam, etc.), who work 24/7 to provide global coverage. This translates into more secure, simpler and more resource-friendly solutions for clients.

More information is available in the PandaLabs blog: http://www.pandalabs.com.

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EarthLink Demonstrates Comcast-NBCU Merger Will Increase Prices of Comcast's Broadband Service

2010-10-06T10:27:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- EarthLink, Inc. (Nasdaq: ELNK), one of the nation's leading Internet service providers, has presented an economic report to the Federal Communications Commission on the proposed merger of Comcast Corp. and NBC Universal. The findings demonstrate that control of NBC Universal's content and assets will result in Comcast raising the prices that consumers pay for standalone broadband service. This report was prepared by Professor Simon J. Wilkie, Former Chief Economist of the Federal Communications Commission, and is available at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7020915403.

The report shows that an increase in the price of standalone broadband service will harm consumers in several ways. In response to higher prices, existing subscribers may be forced to drop their broadband service subscription and new subscribers may not be able to afford Comcast's broadband service. Further, Comcast customers who wish to "cut the cord" from the higher-priced Comcast cable television subscription in order to access lower-cost online video and voice services via standalone broadband or simply "break the bundle" and subscribe only to broadband services will face increased charges. As a result, the market for innovative online video services will be stifled and the nation's goals of ubiquitous broadband adoption and usage will be dampened.

In June, EarthLink asked the FCC to deny the merger or adopt a condition requiring Comcast to offer wholesale standalone broadband access service to independent Internet service providers. Professor Wilkie determined that allowing consumers to have a choice for broadband services will allow consumers to "break the bundle," promote and discipline Comcast's pricing and protect the development of online video. This remedy will impose little or no costs on Comcast while at the same time generating significant benefits.

"Professor Wilkie has confirmed through substantial findings that the Comcast-NBCU transaction will result in a real and significant harm to consumers," said EarthLink General Counsel Samuel R. DeSimone, Jr. "The FCC must step in to ensure that consumers have access to affordable standalone broadband service."

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Damballa Discovers New Wide-Spread Global Botnet Offering ‘Commercial’ DDoS Services

2010-09-14T08:50:00.000-04:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Damballa Inc., the company transforming the fight against cyber threats, today announced the discovery of a new botnet that offers pay-for-delivery Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. The ‘IMDDOS’ Botnet, named after the commercial name on the botnet website, has grown to be one of the largest active global botnets in less than four months from initial testing. According to Damballa, the infected hosts used in the DDoS attacks have become unwitting participants in the botnet and are widespread. The vast majority of infected hosts are in China, with the United States being in the top 10 countries affected. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) worldwide were affected, including the majority of North American ISPs, and a number of major corporate networks are hosting bot agents for the IMDDOS Botnet.

“The commercial nature of this botnet and the rapid growth and ultimate size are what make this discovery interesting”

The IMDDOS Botnet offers a commercial service for delivering DDoS attacks against any desired target. Hosted in China, this publicly available service is available for lease to anyone willing to establish an online account, input the domain(s) they wish to attack, and pay for the service. Throughout the Damballa period of study, the botnet grew large very quickly. Following testing by the criminal operators in April 2010, it reached a production peak of activity with 25,000 unique Recursive DNS (RDNS) lookups per hour attempting to resolve to the botnet’s command-and-control (CnC) servers. Damballa is currently working with ISPs and law enforcement officials to contain and nullify the threat.

A 16-page analysis of the discovery can be viewed at: www.damballa.com/IMDDOS. This analysis includes details of the technical infrastructure of the botnet and associated malware as well as an animated illustration of the IMDDOS Botnet’s global growth and impact from early testing stage to peak activity rendered in hourly increments.

A Denial of Service (DoS) attack is a technique used to overwhelm a website/domain in an effort to reduce its responsiveness or completely eliminate its ability to respond to new connection attempts. DoS attacks have historically been used to ‘take down’ political sites, abuse sites, commercial business websites and even military command centers as part of a coordinated targeted campaign.

A DDoS attack utilizes multiple PCs or servers to initiate a coordinated attack against a targeted system. The more assets involved in the attack, the larger the flood of requests and data that can be targeted at the victim. To create a very large army of assets that can launch DDoS attacks, botnets are used to rally and command unwitting victim machines into participating in the attacks.

“The commercial nature of this botnet and the rapid growth and ultimate size are what make this discovery interesting,” stated Gunter Ollmann, vice president of research for Damballa. “The public website hosting the DDoS service offering, with various ‘plans’ and attack options, speaks to the ease with which anyone can leverage criminal infrastructure. The malware used is simplistic, yet it was successful in spreading rapidly. And while it appears to be primarily a DDoS delivery platform, the size of the botnet reached impressive proportions, certainly large enough to wreak major havoc on any victim organization should it be pointed in the right direction.”

This discovery was made possible due to a global array of Damballa sensors, which provide worldwide visibility into CnC activity, combined with the understanding and quantification of statistical heuristics that can explain, and most importantly, quickly detect, the malicious nature of this botnet operation. Damballa tracks thousands of botnet operators and their growing cache of botnets every day. Each criminal botnet building campaign is observed, analyzed, automatically catalogued and categorized using a sophisticated array of clustering and machine learning systems. As the criminal botnet operators attempt to grow the botnet, their investments and modifications to their CnC hosting infrastructure are tracked and used as markers for eventual attribution. Damballa customers benefit from this advanced knowledge of the threat, being alerted to the presence of the malware and being able to terminate the CnC communications.

“Botnets are recognized by industry experts as being the delivery mechanism of choice for the vast majority of today’s cyber threats that plague corporate and ISP networks,” said Val Rahmani, CEO of Damballa. “Botnets and other cyber threats are attacking corporate networks and service providers at an alarmingly high rate and are causing security teams around the world to reevaluate their security investments. Damballa leads the security industry in delivering solutions that detect and terminate botnets and cyber threats, and our research and product teams are constantly innovating and bringing more powerful and automated weapons to the war against cybercrime.”

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First-Ever Study of Google's Impact on Internet, Economy, Pricing & Jobs

2010-09-13T09:59:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Today Precursor LLC released a first-of-its-kind research study on the impact of the largest and most powerful Internet company, Google Inc., on the Internet, economy, pricing and jobs. Google Inc. is expanding beyond its search monopoly to dominate other parts of the Internet at such an alarming rate that Google Inc. increasingly is the Internet for most consumers.

Precursor President Scott Cleland said:
-- "There is no net-economic growth or job creation from Google's 'free'
Internet sector model, only a deflationary price spiral, negative
growth, property devaluation, and hundreds of thousands of job losses
in over 20 industries. Consumers don't win long term from a
monopoly-gatekeeper of 'free' information access and distribution."
-- "Many will be amazed to learn that when Google rebrands its current
YouTube-Double-Click video advertising business as 'Google TV' this
fall, it already will own an Internet video-streaming monopoly with
80% of the Internet audience, almost a billion viewers, 2 billion
daily monetized views, and 45 billion ads served daily."
-- "Lax antitrust merger enforcement is responsible for tipping Google to
monopoly and facilitating its monopolization of consumer Internet
media. If antitrust authorities do not wake up soon, a wide swath of a
trillion dollar sector with millions of jobs - i.e. video, maps,
books, analytics, travel, etc. - will suffer the same fate as the
music and newspaper industries."
-- "While I expect the study to generate a healthy debate over whether
Google's behavior is pro or anti-competitive, pro or anti-consumer,
and pro or anti-innovation, any rigorous analysis of the facts will
lead to the same conclusion of this study - that Google's exercise of
its market power is spreading to many other industries and spreading
at an alarming rate."

The core recommendation of the study is that the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and the European Commission's Competition Directorate should sue Google for monopolization.

About the study's author:

The study was conducted over the last few months by Scott Cleland, President of Precursor LLC, a leading techcom research and consulting firm. (See: www.Precursor.com.)

-- Formerly, Cleland was an Institutional Investor Magazine top
independent telecom analyst in 2004 and 2005.
-- He has a high-profile track record of being first to spot big
anomalies involving the Internet.
-- In late 2000, Cleland was the first analyst to expose that
Internet traffic was in reality growing 90% slower than what the
market assumed, heralding the bust of the dot.com bubble that
wiped out $4 trillion in market capitalization.
-- In 2002, Cleland was the first analyst to discern that WorldCom's
model did not add up and to predict its bankruptcy.
-- In 2007, Cleland was the first analyst to predict that Google's
acquisition of DoubleClick would tip Google to monopoly; an
assessment the DOJ affirmed in 2008 in blocking the Google-Yahoo
ad agreement via a threatened monopolization case.
-- A leading expert on Google, Cleland publishes two Google watchdog
sites www.GoogleMonitor.com and www.Googleopoly.net, and he has
testified before both House and Senate subcommittees on Google.

The views expressed in the Googleopoly VI study are solely those of the author and not the views of any Precursor LLC clients.

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GSLO: Turn Your Apple iPod Touch Into a Smartphone

2010-09-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Does your iPod Touch suffer from iPhone Envy? Not for long: GoSolarUSA Inc. (PinkSheets:GSLO) announced a deal today with innovative Chinese developer Yosion to bring that company’s cutting-edge Apple Peel 520 product to the United States.

“We see the Apple Peel 520 as a stunning breakthrough in mobile technology, and we’re proud to work with Yosion to develop this product for the U.S. market.”

Both companies signed a funding option agreement last week. Under the agreement, GoSolarUSA will work with Yosion to develop the Apple Peel 520, file for a U.S. patent and distribute it in the U.S.

When used with Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPod Touch, the Apple Peel 520 functions as a protective skin that adds mobile voice and text messaging capabilities to the touch-screen media player. The startling new technology represents a more affordable alternative to purchasing Apple’s pricier iPhone, and with 275 million iPods already on the market, the Apple Peel could be an instant hit. Yosion announced last week that September’s initial manufacturing run is already sold out.

“We are so pleased to have reached this agreement with Yosion,” said Tyson Rohde, President of GSLO. “We see the Apple Peel 520 as a stunning breakthrough in mobile technology, and we’re proud to work with Yosion to develop this product for the U.S. market.”

The Apple Peel 520 is the creation of 22-year-old Chinese programmer Pan Yong. The gadget slips over the iPod Touch’s case and includes a battery, dock connector and SIM card. Once the proper software is installed, the Apple Peel adds the ability to make voice calls and text messages using the iPod Touch. When fully charged, the Apple Peel’s 800mAh battery offers nearly five hours of talk time and 120 hours of standby use.

The Apple Peel 520 first made waves online in the U.S. last month when it was featured on CNN.com [http://articles.cnn.com/2010-08-16/tech/china.apple.peel_1_apple-smart-phone-iphone-ipod?_s=PM:TECH] and earned positive buzz from Engadget.com [http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/28/ipod-touch-turned-into-a-phone-using-yosions-apple-peel-520/], among other Web sites.

“For right around $60, this device really does transform the iPod Touch into a smartphone,” Rohde said. “If there is a hotter iPod accessory anywhere in the world, we certainly haven’t seen it.”

The option agreement signed by both companies on Wednesday requires that both parties negotiate in good faith to reach terms on a profit-sharing agreement. It has been filed as a material contract with GSLO’s public filings.

GoSolarUSA is dedicated to aggressively acquiring, developing and marketing promising and potentially profitable technology. The iPod Touch and the iPhone are products of Apple Inc., which competes in the global smartphone market against the Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android and Research in Motion’s (NASDAQ:RIMM) BlackBerry line.

For more information, please visit www.GoSolarUSA.com.

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GFI Software Announces Top 10 Malware Threats for August

2010-09-03T10:53:00.000-04:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--GFI Software, a leading IT solutions provider for small and medium-sized enterprises, today announced the top 10 most prevalent malware threats for the month of August 2010. The report, compiled from monthly scans performed by GFI's award-winning anti-malware solution, VIPRE® Antivirus, and its antispyware tool, CounterSpy®, is a service of GFI Labs™.

“Our research group is analyzing new rogues too, but what we’re seeing through ThreatNet indicates that VIPRE is preventing these rogue downloads.”

GFI VIPRE ThreatNet™ statistics for the month of August show that GFI customers were under attack throughout the month primarily by the same Trojan horse programs that have persisted for several months. In fact, the top four threats were unchanged in order from the month of July. Trojans detected as Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT were still the chief detection, slightly down to 25.11 percent of total detections. This particular Trojan detection has been in the top spot for some time: in July with 29.08 percent and in June with 27.16 percent of the total detections.

The number two detection, Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen is a detection of password-stealing Trojans with many versions. The third largest detection, Trojan.Win32.Generic.pak!cobra, is a generic detection for a variety of malware that can infect 32- and 64-bit Windows installations.

“Detections of this malicious code indicate that botnet operators continue to try to infect machines and use them in their spamming networks,” said Francis Montesino, manager of the malware processing team, GFI Labs. “Our ThreatNet detections for the month also agree with other reports we’ve heard in the last few weeks that have found a high level of traffic in rogue security products. These are often referred to as scareware. We’re seeing a multitude of detections of the downloaders and installers that are associated with the rogues.

Montesino continued, “Our research group is analyzing new rogues too, but what we’re seeing through ThreatNet indicates that VIPRE is preventing these rogue downloads.”

The top 10 results represent the number of times a particular malware infection was detected during VIPRE and CounterSpy scans that report back to ThreatNet, GFI’s community of opt-in users. These threats are classified as moderate to severe based on method of installation among other criteria established by GFI Labs. The majority of these threats propagate through stealth installations or social engineering.

The top 10 most prevalent malware threats for the month of August are:
1. Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT 25.11%

2. Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen 4.23%

3. Trojan.Win32.Generic.pak!cobra 3.61%

4. INF.Autorun (v) 3.27%

5. Trojan.Win32.Generic!SB.0 2.01%

6. BehavesLike.Win32.Malware (v) 1.04%

7. Worm.Win32.Downad.Gen (v) 0.96%

8. Trojan.Win32.Malware.a 0.93%

9. Trojan.Win32.Meredrop 0.92%

10. Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen (v) 0.84%

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FCC Terminates AWS-3 Rulemaking to Auction Spectrum with Free Broadband Requirement; Breaks National Broadband Plan Commitment

2010-09-01T09:45:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, August 27, 2010, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) notified M2Z Networks, Inc. (M2Z) and its Silicon Valley investors including Kleiner Perkins, Charles River Ventures, and Redpoint Ventures, that it has terminated the AWS-3 spectrum (2155-2180 MHz) public interest rulemaking, thereby closing off the possibility of providing free nationwide broadband service in the United States for the foreseeable future. The FCC has been considering M2Z's proposal for a free nationwide broadband network using AWS-3 since 2006. This decision reverses the FCC's National Broadband Plan commitment to finalize the AWS-3 spectrum rulemaking in the fourth quarter of 2010 and for the spectrum to be auctioned by the second quarter of 2011.

The FCC's AWS-3 rulemaking, pending since 2007, consisted of three key issues:

-- A requirement that the AWS-3 licensee provide free broadband service
to at least 95% of the U.S. population in order to address the digital
divide;
-- A requirement that the AWS-3 licensee adhere to Net Neutrality
principles of open access (end-user access to all lawful content) and
open platforms (end-users to have the choice of devices);
-- An enforceable requirement on the AWS-3 licensee to build-out a
national broadband network covering 50% of the population in 4 years
and 95% in 10 years.

According to the FCC's own National Broadband Plan, 28 million Americans today cannot afford to subscribe to broadband. A free nationwide broadband service using the AWS-3 spectrum band would have addressed this persistent digital divide. While campaigning for the White House in 2008, President Obama told the U.S. Conference of Mayors, "Every American should have broadband access - no matter where you live, or how much money you have. We'll connect our schools and libraries and hospitals. And we'll take on the special interests to realize the potential of wireless spectrum for our safety and connectivity."

There continues to be considerable support from the public for a free nationwide broadband service. The FCC record shows that during the pendency of the AWS-3 rulemaking, more than 50,000 Americans signed a petition supporting the proposed rules while the FCC and members of Congress received over 20,000 letters and emails in support of the proposed rules. Government officials outside of Washington--faced with a growing digital divide and a poor economy--also saw merit in this innovative private sector solution. The FCC record shows that over 300 local, state and federal officials from all 50 states wrote to the FCC in support of the proposed AWS-3 rules.

"The FCC's decision to delay the use of this valuable spectrum forgoes the consumer welfare and economic stimulus that would result from putting new spectrum into the marketplace," said John Muleta, CEO of M2Z Networks. "A new nationwide broadband entrant that provided a free broadband service would have created tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs throughout the country while giving all Americans an equal opportunity to participate in the digital economy. Despite the spectrum crisis facing the U.S. as documented by the FCC's National Broadband Plan, the AWS-3 spectrum will continue to lie fallow providing no economic value to American consumers."

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Facebook Accused of Misappropriating Likenesses of Teens for Profit

2010-08-27T11:05:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- A class action lawsuit was just filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Central Division, alleging that Facebook is misappropriating the names and pictures of minors for profit.

David Cohen, a minor, by and through Robin Cohen as Guardian ad Litem; Shelby Orland, a minor, by and through Marcia J. Orland as Guardian ad Litem; for all others similarly situated v. Facebook, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and DOES 1 through 100, Inclusive (Case #BC444482), alleges that Facebook encourages the participation of teenagers on its social network. Without any attempt to obtain parental consent, Facebook sells the names and likenesses of those minors for use by advertisers as an endorsement of the advertisers' products or services.

"When a teenager sees that their Facebook friends 'Like' an ad, it piques their curiosity, making them more likely to click the ad or visit the page," says Los Angeles plaintiff attorney John Torjesen of John C. Torjesen & Associates. "We believe it is a clear case of exploitation of children for the sake of profits."

"The consent of the minor for this commercial use of his or her name and likeness is not obtained by Facebook," says plaintiff attorney and co-counsel Antony Stuart of Stuart Law Firm. "Under California law, the minor's consent cannot be obtained without the consent of the parent or guardian. Facebook makes no effort to obtain parental consent."

The class action lawsuit is filed on behalf of all California residents who are or were under the age of 18 and members of Facebook from Aug. 26, 2007 to Aug. 26, 2010 whose likenesses or names were used in a Facebook advertisement or landing page.

"Facebook's actions violate the inalienable right to privacy guaranteed by the California Constitution," says Torjesen. "It derives illegal profits by charging advertisers for the use of children's names and photographs. As the father of a teenager, I view this to be exploitation of children."

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Tech Industry Opposes Possible FM Chip Mandate for Mobile Devices

2010-08-23T12:34:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- A coalition of six technology industry associations sent a letter today to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the U.S. House and Senate Judiciary Committees urging them to resist efforts to include an FM technology mandate for mobile devices in any legislation addressing an unrelated conflict between the broadcast and recording industries over royalties.

"Calls for an FM chip mandate are not about public safety but are instead about propping up a business which consumers are abandoning as they avail themselves of new, more consumer-friendly options," the associations wrote. "It is simply wrong for two entrenched industries to resolve their differences by agreeing to burden a third industry - which has no relationship to or other interest in the performance royalty dispute - with a costly, ill-considered and unnecessary new mandate."

The proposed imposition of an FM chip mandate is not necessary for resolution of the dispute between performance artists and broadcasters and, if adopted, it would be bad policy for several reasons:

-- Mandating that every wireless device include an FM chip would require
consumers to pay more for a function that they may not desire or ever
use.
-- The groups that are parties to the discussions over the performance
rights royalty issue lack any expertise in the development of wireless
devices and are in no position to dictate what type of functionality
is included in a wireless device.
-- Development by the technology industry and government of a mobile
broadcast emergency alerting system makes the requirement unnecessary.

The following Presidents and Chief Executive Officers of CTIA-The Wireless Association®, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, the Information Technology Industry Council, the Rural Cellular Association, TechAmerica and the Telecommunications Industry Association signed the letter.

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EarthLink Files Reply in Comcast-NBCU Merger; Urges FCC to Require Wholesale Standalone Broadband Access Condition

2010-08-20T10:51:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/-- EarthLink, Inc. (NASDAQ:ELNK) , one of the nation's leading Internet service providers, on August 18 filed at the Federal Communications Commission a response to the opposition of applicants to conditions proposed in the Comcast-NBCU merger. In June, EarthLink asked the FCC to deny the merger or adopt a condition requiring Comcast to offer wholesale standalone broadband access to independent Internet service providers.

EarthLink urged the FCC to adopt the condition to ensure the merger does not result in anti-competitive activity that will reduce consumer choice, restrict content diversity, and interfere with Internet competition. In addition to providing consumers a choice for broadband access service, the condition would allow consumers to "break the bundle" and take advantage of video programming available on the Internet without subscribing to cable television service, thereby encouraging broadband investment, competition and adoption.

"The Comcast-NBCU transaction raises the substantial risk that Comcast will use its market power to stifle competition, growth and innovation of online video and other broadband content," said EarthLink General Counsel Samuel R. DeSimone, Jr. "The access condition proposed by EarthLink is a cost-effective solution to these concerns and will benefit U.S. consumers."

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Vice President Biden Announces Recovery Act Investments in Broadband Projects to Bring Jobs, Economic Opportunity to Communities Nationwide

2010-08-20T10:30:00.000-04:00

Vice President Biden today (August 18) announced 94 Recovery Act investments in broadband projects that will create jobs and expand economic opportunities within 37 states. These investments in high-speed Internet infrastructure will help bridge the technological divide in communities that are being left in the 20th century economy and support improvements in education, healthcare, and public safety. Today’s announcement, an investment totaling $1.8 billion, is part of a nearly $7 billion Recovery Act initiative.

“Today's (August 18) investment in broadband technology will create jobs across the country and expand opportunities for millions of Americans and American companies. In addition to bringing 21st century infrastructure to underserved communities and rural areas, these investments will begin to harness the power of broadband to improve education, health care, and public safety,” said Vice President Biden. “The awards are another great example of how the Recovery Act is creating jobs upfront, while also building a foundation for sustainable job creation and global competitiveness.”

The projects receiving funds today are part of a program – administered by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) – to expand broadband access and adoption across the country.

“The broadband investments announced today(August 18) are going to put people to work in the near term, but they also will lay the groundwork for sustainable economic growth down the road,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. “These projects will connect Americans who have for too long been without the full economic, educational and social benefits of high-speed Internet access – access central to success in the 21st Century.”

“The broadband projects announced today(August 18) will give rural Americans access to the tools they need to attract new businesses, jobs, health care and educational opportunities,” Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack said. “The Obama Administration understands that bringing broadband to rural America provides a gateway for businesses and key anchor institutions – such as libraries, schools, public safety and community centers – to provide services to thousands of Americans. These projects will create jobs building these networks, and the completed systems will provide a platform for rural economic growth for years to come.”

Today’s(August 18) announcement includes 66 grants awarded by the Commerce Department for projects to deploy broadband infrastructure and connect community anchor institutions to broadband, create and upgrade public computer centers, and encourage the sustainable adoption of broadband service. It also includes 28 awards from USDA for broadband infrastructure and satellite projects that will provide rural residents in 16 states and Native American tribal areas access to improved service.

The Department of Commerce awards also contain grants for public safety broadband networks that will improve response times and communication at the scene of emergencies. These projects constitute a critical set of demonstration projects and a head start on President Obama’s commitment to support the development of a nationwide, interoperable public safety wireless broadband network.

According to an analysis released by the National Economic Council last year, overall Recovery Act investments in broadband are expected to create tens of thousands of jobs in the near term and expand economic development and job opportunities in communities that are being left behind in the new knowledge-based economy. Recovery Act broadband projects help bring down the cost of private investment, attract Internet service providers to new areas, improve digital literacy among students and workers, and help create new opportunities in employment, education, and entrepreneurship by wiring homes and businesses. With new or increased broadband access, communities can compete on a level playing field to attract new businesses, schools can create distance learning opportunities, medical professionals can provide cost-efficient remote diagnoses and care, and business owners can expand the market for their products beyond their neighborhoods to better compete in the global economy.

Funding is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the loan, grant or loan/grant agreement. A complete list of projects receiving Recovery Act broadband grant awards today(August 18) can be viewed in full.

President Obama signed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law on February 17, 2009. It is designed to jumpstart the nation’s economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so that the country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act includes measures to modernize our nation’s infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need.

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State Legislators Oppose FCC's Plans to Re-label and Regulate Internet

2010-08-12T11:56:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) voices its opposition to plans by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to change the status of broadband Internet Service from a lightly-regulated "information service" to a more heavily regulated "telecommunications service."

At its meeting late last week, ALEC's Telecommunications & Information Technology Task Force approved its ALEC Broadband Regulation Resolution. The Resolution declares ALEC's opposition to the FCC's controversial plan to subject broadband Internet service to a handful of older monopoly-era telephone regulations.

Today the Resolution was delivered to the FCC along with a letter by Connecticut State Representative Bill Hamzy, who serves as Public Sector Chair of ALEC's Telecom & IT Task Force. In the letter, the state legislator insists the agency should back off from its controversial plan to subject broadband Internet to heavier regulatory burdens.

"ALEC supports the continuation of federal policies that have kept the Internet free from government regulation. Marketplace freedom has encouraged the explosive growth of the Internet and e-commerce in recent years. It would be a grave mistake for the FCC to suddenly reverse course and saddle the Internet with burdensome new regulation. ALEC remains concerned that attempts by federal regulators to impose new restrictions on broadband Internet service will hurt technological innovation, deter private infrastructure investment, and threaten job growth in the states," said Representative Hamzy.

As declared in the Resolution, "ALEC urges that the FCC, Congress and state regulatory and legislative bodies refocus their efforts on specific and limited initiatives targeted at ensuring that broadband service is made universally available and affordable to consumers, rejecting overly prescriptive regulations that would harm innovation, investment, and job growth."

In January, over 90 other state legislators submitted a letter to the FCC opposing its plans to impose net neutrality regulation. In 2007, ALEC adopted a Resolution on Net Neutrality, opposing federal and state regulation of network management practices.

The American Legislative Exchange Council is the nation's largest nonpartisan, individual membership organization of state legislators.

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Google-Verizon Broadband Proposal Undermines Internet, Consumer Watchdog Says

2010-08-09T17:18:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Google and Verizon's new joint broadband proposal pays lip service to the idea of "net neutrality," but actually would completely undermine the open and free Internet we enjoy, Consumer Watchdog said today.

There are two fundamental flaws, said John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with the nonpartisan, nonprofit public interest group:

"First, it sets up a two-tiered structure. There would be a so-called 'Public Internet,' but then the ISPs would be allowed to offer new premium services outside that basic service. How long to you think anything of interest would be available on the 'Public Internet'?

"Second, no neutrality principles would apply to the wireless world. Everyone agrees mobile is clearly the Internet's future. Allowing data discrimination in the broadband wireless world completely undermines the future of the Internet."

Essentially, this proposal is nothing more than two corporations meeting together and trying to carve up the Internet for their own advantage, Consumer Watchdog said.

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The Real Estate Book Introduces Powerful Search Tool for House Hunters on the Go, Launches App for iPhone, iTouch, iPad

2010-08-06T09:27:00.000-04:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--More Americans are relying on their mobile devices to access information, quickly and easily. The number of people who sought local information on their smart phones grew 51% last year, with the fastest growing method of accessing this info through downloaded apps.*

For on-the-go home buyers, The Real Estate Book / RealEstateBook.com, the leading publisher of real estate information online and in print in North America, launches a new application that provides iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users with access to all its listings – millions of homes for sale across the U.S. and around the world. With its latest offering, The Real Estate Book delivers a one-stop marketing solution for agents and brokers to reach home buyers and sellers through their local The Real Estate Book, a network of online listing sites, social media tools, direct mail and now an iPhone app.

“We’re always looking to expand our media offerings for real estate agents and brokers to give them a competitive edge”

“We’re always looking to expand our media offerings for real estate agents and brokers to give them a competitive edge,” says Todd Walker, senior vice president of sales and operations. “With our multi-channel marketing solution, they can go into a listing presentation and show the seller how by advertising with The Real Estate Book, they are reaching more prospective buyers than agents who just use an online-only, one-dimensional, channel to market their home.”

The Real Estate Book iPhone app features the millions of property listings for sale across the U.S. and the world available on RealEstateBook.com. The application, available as a free download from Apple’s online App Store, enhances the user experience, offering a suite of features including:

* Search for home listings by city and state/province or zip/postal code
* Map and receive directions to property listings from current location
* View property details and photos of home listings
* Save favorites and share or write notes and attach photos about properties that can be emailed or viewed later
* Email or call the Real Estate Agent directly from the listing
* View past searches and perform advanced searching by bedroom/bath, price, MLS #, or property type

Scott Dixon, president of Network Communication Inc.’s Real Estate Division adds, “Agents today are inundated with marketing options and can spend enormous amounts of time sifting through them. We seek to make it easy and efficient for them to gain the most exposure for their listings. Our new iPhone app delivers on our commitment to drive more leads and the best value to our advertisers.”

To download the The Real Estate Book iPhone application, visit: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-real-estate-book/id379869228?mt=8

The Real Estate Book has been helping real estate professionals connect with buyers and sellers for over 30 years. Available in print and online in over 400 markets across the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean, The Real Estate Book delivers credible, proven results to its advertisers who benefit from a wealth of experience and an integrated media platform that showcases their listings in a variety of ways. With 8 million magazines in print every 4 weeks, The Real Estate Book gets nearly 2 million unique visitors on its Web site, www.RealEstateBook.com, and features thousands of homes for sale, new home communities, and local information.

* comScore, June 2009

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Google Betrays Internet Principle to Fatten Bottom Line, Consumer Watchdog Says

2010-08-05T15:45:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Google is compromising a long standing principle it claimed to support in an effort to boost profits as it backs away from a key premise of an open Internet -- "net neutrality," Consumer Watchdog said today.

Net neutrality -- the idea that all data is treated equally by Internet service providers -- is a key principle of the Internet. Google has long claimed to be an advocate of the principle. Today, both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times reported that Google and Verizon are close to a deal that would let Verizon speed some online content more quickly to Internet users if content providers paid for the privilege.

Wednesday, Google Chairman offered a new definition of net neutrality. Speaking at a technology symposium in Lake Tahoe, he said: "I want to make sure that everybody understands what we mean about it. What we mean is that if you have one data type, like video, you don't discriminate against one person's video in favor of another. It's OK to discriminate across different types..."

"Apparently Google redefines principles to suit the business need of the moment," said John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with the nonpartisan, nonprofit group. "Google and Verizon have great incentive to cut deals because of the relationship between their rivals, Apple and AT&T. What Google and Verizon are trying to do is carve up the Internet behind closed doors for their own benefit."

Consumer Watchdog said that net neutrality has always meant that all types of data are treated equally by an Internet service provider. Net neutrality should apply to both the wired and wireless Internet, the nonprofit, nonpartisan group said.

Meanwhile, a national poll released by Consumer Watchdog found that a significant majority of Americans are troubled by recent revelations that Google's Street View cars gathered communications from home WiFi networks, and they want stronger legal protection to preserve their online privacy.

While Google received an overall 74% favorable rating, nearly two-thirds of those polled (65%) say the Wi-Spy scandal is one of the things that "worries them most" or a "great deal" with another 20% saying it "raises some concern" when considering Internet issues.

The poll, conducted for Consumer Watchdog by Grove Insight, Ltd., found a solid majority (55%) is also bothered ("one of the most" or "great deal") by Google's cooperation with the National Security Agency without saying what information is being shared. Even more voters call for Congressional hearings on "Google's gathering data from home WiFi networks and its sharing of information with U.S. spy agencies like the National Security Administration, the NSA" (69% favor, 19% oppose).

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FTC Settles Charges of Anticompetitive Conduct Against Intel

2010-08-04T17:01:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Federal Trade Commission approved a settlement with Intel Corp. that resolves charges the company illegally stifled competition in the market for computer chips. Intel has agreed to provisions that will open the door to renewed competition and prevent Intel from suppressing competition in the future.

The settlement goes beyond the terms applied to Intel in previous actions against the company and will help restore competition that was lost as a result of Intel's alleged past anticompetitive tactics. At the same time, the settlement will leave the company room to innovate and offer competitive pricing.

"This case demonstrates that the FTC is willing to challenge anticompetitive conduct by even the most powerful companies in the fastest-moving industries," said Chairman Jon Leibowitz. "By accepting this settlement, we open the door to competition today and address Intel's anticompetitive conduct in a way that may not have been available in a final judgment years from now. Everyone, including Intel, gets a greater degree of certainty about the rules of the road going forward, which allows all the companies in this dynamic industry to move ahead and build better, more innovative products."

The FTC settlement applies to Central Processing Units, Graphics Processing Units and chipsets and prohibits Intel from using threats, bundled prices, or other offers to exclude or hamper competition or otherwise unreasonably inhibit the sale of competitive CPUs or GPUs. The settlement also prohibits Intel from deceiving computer manufacturers about the performance of non-Intel CPUs or GPUs.

The FTC settlement goes beyond those reached in previous antitrust cases against Intel in a number of ways. For example, the FTC settlement order protects competition and not any single competitor in the CPU, graphics, and chipset markets. It also addresses Intel's disclosures related to its compiler - a product that plays an important role in CPU performance. The settlement order also ensures that manufacturers of complementary products such as discrete GPUs will be assured access to Intel's CPU for the next six years.

The FTC sued Intel in December 2009 alleging that the company used anticompetitive tactics to cut off rivals' access to the marketplace and deprive consumers of choice and innovation in the microchips that comprise computers' central processing unit, or CPU. These chips are critical components that often are referred to as the "brains" of a computer. The action also challenged Intel's conduct in markets for graphics processing units and other chips.

The FTC alleged that Intel's anticompetitive practices violated Section 5 of the FTC Act, which is broader than the antitrust laws and prohibits unfair methods of competition and deceptive acts and practices in commerce. Unlike an antitrust violation, a violation of Section 5 cannot be used to establish liability for plaintiffs to seek triple damages in private litigation against the same defendant.

Under the settlement, Intel will be prohibited from:
-- conditioning benefits to computer makers in exchange for their promise
to buy chips from Intel exclusively or to refuse to buy chips from
others; and
-- retaliating against computer makers if they do business with non-Intel
suppliers by withholding benefits from them.

In addition, the FTC settlement order will require Intel to:
-- modify its intellectual property agreements with AMD, Nvidia, and Via
so that those companies have more freedom to consider mergers or joint
ventures with other companies, without the threat of being sued by
Intel for patent infringement;
-- offer to extend Via's x86 licensing agreement for five years beyond
the current agreement, which expires in 2013;
-- maintain a key interface, known as the PCI Express Bus, for at least
six years in a way that will not limit the performance of graphics
processing chips. These assurances will provide incentives to
manufacturers of complementary, and potentially competitive, products
to Intel's CPUs to continue to innovate; and
-- disclose to software developers that Intel computer compilers
discriminate between Intel chips and non-Intel chips, and that they
may not register all the features of non-Intel chips. Intel also will
have to reimburse all software vendors who want to recompile their
software using a non-Intel compiler.

The FTC vote approving the proposed settlement order was 4-0, with Commissioner William E. Kovacic recused. The order will be subject to public comment for 30 days, until September 7, 2010, after which the Commission will decide whether to make it final. Comments should be sent to: FTC, Office of the Secretary, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. To submit a comment electronically, please click on: https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/intel/.

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How to Keep Jailbroken iPhones off Corporate Networks

2010-08-03T19:14:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Now that jailbreaking the iPhone and iPad is legal, corporate enterprises have even more to worry about.

Until 26 July 2010, corporate IT and security managers only had to worry about keeping rogue iPhones and their associated security and compliance holes in check. With the latest government ruling, however, jailbroken iPhones and iPads present even greater threats to the privacy and security of corporate networks.

Winn Schwartau, Chairman of M.A.D. Partners, LLC, the smartphone security company said, "iPhone users can now download apps from anywhere they choose, not just the iTunes store. This signifies a far greater risk to companies who are trying to leverage the unique capabilities of the Apple platform. But Mobile Active Defense provides a strong, workable and automatic solution that solves the jailbreaking problem on corporate networks."

To maintain high levels of security, privacy and compliance across the enterprise, IT administrators must have complete control over devices that connect to the company network, use company resources and store or process sensitive data. They must meet HIPAA, GLBA, PCI, SOX and myriad other compliance guidelines, especially in the mobile arena.

With M.A.D.'s powerful Mobile Enterprise Compliance and Security (MECS) Server, says Schwartau, "we can detect jailbreaking within one minute. That's pretty cool. Once this clear violation of security policy is discovered, the MECS managed firewall issues immediate remediation options to the administrator."

With Mobile Active Defense, the iPhone stays in communication with the MECS Server. If any company-defined "out of compliance" or "out of policy" conditions are detected on any of the organization's iPhones, an immediate alert is generated.

According to M.A.D. Partners' CTO, Rob Smith, "The administrator configures the MECS Server to inspect the security state of the iPhone. How do we do it? That's our secret sauce. How quickly the administrator responds to a remediation request from the MECS Server is what is really important. We give him all the tools he needs."

The remediation response taken by the company is policy driven and enforced through the MECS Server. The administrator can choose to isolate the offending iPhone/iPad from connecting to anything, pending further investigation. Or he can choose to wipe the entire device with no notification to the user. Lastly, the administrator can choose to be notified by email, SMS or MECS Server console popup, allowing him to individually choose the remediation response.

The M.A.D. Mobile Enterprise Compliance and Security (MECS) Server supports the U.S. Government's NIST 800-53 critical guidance for mobile device access control and media storage, as well as those for ISO 27001 that map directly to HIPAA, GLBA, PCI and SOX.

Adding MECS Servers to any enterprise does not require any changes to existing security or IT infrastructures and can be up and running within one day.

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Apple iPad to Aid in Construction of Hospitals

2010-08-03T08:37:00.000-04:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The NoliWhite Group, Brentwood-based healthcare facility developers, launched an innovative process that will incorporate the use of Apple’s iPad on hospital and other healthcare-related construction sites, officials announced today. The initiative, Project Information Integration, or PI2, is being piloted on the construction of John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital’s new North Tower in Thomasville, GA.

“We are thrilled to be part of this new program.”

The NoliWhite Group is the first healthcare program manager company to embrace the latest technology from Apple. PI2 will deploy the use of the iPad to craftsmen and supervisors on construction sites so that they will have a constant link to virtual plan rooms.

Utilizing Nashville based Lellyett & Rodgers PDM document access system, the entire project development team can easily access all project documents in real time. Having the 3G or internet access in the field through the iPads will allow craftsmen and project managers to link to the virtual plan room through the web almost anywhere at any time, which is a huge advantage according to The NoliWhite Group.

“With everyone involved in the construction process having access to an iPad on site, we will ultimately eliminate the need to carry hundreds of sheets of drawings and thousands of pages of specifications,” says Mike Noli, partner with The NoliWhite Group. “The increased productivity level from our craftsmen and supervisors not having to carry around these massive documents alone makes this a worthwhile initiative.”

However, it is not just productivity levels that will contribute to the overall benefits hospital administrators will see as a result of the firm embracing the technology. According to Noli, using the iPads on the first pilot project has resulted in an estimated cost savings of $179,000 in printing alone.

“When The NoliWhite Group approached us about piloting PI2 for our facility, we were blown away by the ‘real dollar’ savings it will ultimately bring,” says Perry Mustian, President & CEO of John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital. “We are thrilled to be part of this new program.”

CRAFTSMEN EMBRACEMENT OF iPad

Craftsmen already using the iPad at the Archbold construction site agree that this is a positive move for their industry.

One such craftsman said: “I don’t own a computer or have an email address, but the iPad is changing the way I do my work and for the better. It just makes everything so easy and fast, and I really think that it is making me better at what I do every day.”

On site craftsmen and supervisors benefit from the ease of use of the iPad as opposed to standard laptop computers. The iPad’s simplicity makes it easy for everyone to use. Having direct access to the most current design drawings, specifications, medical equipment information, and other project information in an easy to use device will significantly improve the construction process from the design team right on down to the implementing contractors.

GREEN INITIATIVE

In addition to the cost savings PI2 will bring to clients, the firm is also excited about the benefits using iPads will have on the environment.

“We are always thinking outside the box for ways we can improve how we work and provide better customer service for our clients,” says Drew White, partner with The NoliWhite Group. “And PI2 does just that as well as give us an opportunity to launch a green initiative at our company which is something we have always wanted to do.”

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Stealthy Government Contractor Monitors U.S. Internet Providers, Worked With Wikileaks Informant

2010-08-02T07:39:00.000-04:00

A semi-secret government contractor that calls itself Project Vigilant surfaced at the Defcon security conference Sunday with a series of revelations: that it monitors the traffic of 12 regional Internet service providers, hands much of that information to federal agencies, and encouraged one of its "volunteers," researcher Adrian Lamo, to inform the federal government about the alleged source of a controversial video of civilian deaths in Iraq leaked to whistle-blower site Wikileaks in April.
http://blogs.forbes.com/firewall/2010/08/01/stealthy-government-contractor-monitors-u-s-internet-providers-says-it-employed-wikileaks-informant/

Coffee, Controversy and Connectivity: Why Internet Cafes Concern Governments

2010-07-31T14:41:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Digital Policy Council (DPC), an international, non-partisan "think tank" on 21st Century Governance, investigates the swirling controversy around internet cafes across the globe as these establishments are sprouting into hot spots for illicit gambling, teenage gaming, terror e-mails, and other nefarious activities.

The DPC is the research and public advocacy arm of Digital Daya ('digital influence'), a new generation strategic consultancy that empowers leaders in the public sectors to leverage the new media of the Internet to communicate their message, build public influence, and execute high-impact programs to reshape governance and public policy.

According to The Digital Policy Council's most up-to-date research, governments around the world are struggling to regulate the growing number of cybercafes in their communities and whether open or autocratic, all authorities are intensifying surveillance and enforcements tactics to try and gain control over the situation.

Time For New Policy Actions

Governments at first deeply encouraged Internet cafes as a means to offer access to modern technology to its citizens and create opportunities for social and economic development. They are now heavily retreating from this idea. Internet cafes have failed as a tool for public policy.

The vast majority of Internet cafes are in reality now merely online gaming and gambling arcades. Many have become integral to government counter-terrorism strategies as heavy surveillance of these establishments is creating an unnerving atmosphere wherein people are afraid. The aspirations for cybercafes as places of innovation, inspiration, and inclusion into the digital economy have faded away.

As an alternative, the report encourages governments to consider investing in specifically designed internet-based innovation centers to promote e-literacy, build human capital, and broaden access to information technology.

Join the discussion at http://www.squidoo.com/internet-cafes-trouble-governements

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FBI, Slovenian and Spanish Police Arrests Mariposa Botnet Creator, Operators

2010-07-28T17:53:00.000-04:00

The FBI, in partnership with the Slovenian Criminal Police and the Spanish Guardia Civil, announced today significant developments in a two-year investigation of the creator and operators of the Mariposa Botnet. A botnet is a network of remote-controlled compromised computers.

The Mariposa Botnet was built with a computer virus known as “Butterfly Bot” and was used to steal passwords for websites and financial institutions. It stole computer users’ credit card and bank account information, launched denial of service attacks, and spread viruses. Industry experts estimated the Mariposa Botnet may have infected as many as 8 million to 12 million computers.

“In the last two years, the software used to create the Mariposa botnet was sold to hundreds of other criminals, making it one of the most notorious in the world,” said FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III. “These cyber intrusions, thefts, and frauds undermine the integrity of the Internet and the businesses that rely on it; they also threaten the privacy and pocketbooks of all who use the Internet.”

In February, the Spanish Guardia Civil arrested three suspected Mariposa Botnet operators: “Netkairo,” “Jonyloleante,” and “Ostiator,” aka Florencio Carro Ruiz, Jonathan Pazos Rivera, and Juan Jose Bellido Rios. These individuals are being prosecuted in Spain for computer crimes.

Last week, the Slovenian Criminal Police identified and arrested the Mariposa Botnet’s suspected creator, a 23-year-old Slovenian citizen known as “Iserdo.” The work of the Slovenian and Spanish authorities was integral to this investigation.

FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Gordon M. Snow said: “This case shows the value of strong partnerships among law enforcement agencies worldwide in the fight against cyber criminals. Cyber crime knows no boundaries, and without international collaboration, our efforts to dismantle these operations would be impossible. The FBI praises the work of our Slovenian and Spanish partners who worked closely with our agents in this case.”

In a statement, Slovenian Minister of the Interior Katarina Kresal and Director General Janko Gorsek, Slovenian Criminal Police, said: “We are glad to cooperate with the United States; the FBI’s assistance is invaluable and represents professional affirmation of our force. This case shows that cyber crime issues call for international police cooperation that shouldn’t be hindered by geographical borders. The FBI has demonstrated a high level of collaboration in which our countries were equal partners, which was crucial for the success of the investigation and reducing the threat on a global level. This partnership serves as a solid basis for future cooperation.”

Maj. Juan Salom, commander of the Guardia Civil’s Cyber Crime Division, noted: “The Mariposa case showed how the coordinated and joint actions of different international police forces, along with the efforts of the Internet security industry, have been able to face the global threat of cyber crime,” he said. “The cyber kingpins know that they are not invincible anymore because the global efforts of the FBI, Slovenian Criminal Police, and Spanish Guardia Civil have shown that it doesn’t matter where or how they try to hide, they will be located and prosecuted.”

From 2008 to 2010, the Slovenian citizen created “Butterfly Bot” and sold it to other criminals worldwide. In turn, these criminals developed networks of infected computers—botnets—and the Mariposa variety from Spain was the most notorious and largest. In addition to selling the Butterfly Bot program, the Slovenian citizen developed customized versions for certain customers and created and sold plug-ins (add-ons) to augment the botnet’s features and functionality.

This case is significant because it targeted not only the operators of the botnet but also the creator of the malicious software that was used to build and operate it. The success of this investigation was made possible because of the skill, professionalism, and commitment of the Slovenian Criminal Police’s Cyber Crime Division and the Spanish Guardia Civil’s Computer Crimes Group.

The FBI conducted this investigation with the assistance of the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Hawaii, and the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Office of International Affairs, and the Botnet Threat Focus Cell. The FBI also received invaluable assistance from the Mariposa Working Group.

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iCityApps Announces the Launch of iCityMiami Application

2010-07-28T10:08:00.000-04:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--iCityApps Inc. announced today the launch of iCityMiami iPhone Application. This application is the first of many free city based applications in development by iCityApps Inc.

“The iCityMiami iPhone Application has been approved by Apple and can be downloaded for free at www.icitymiami.com,” states Arsen Pereymer, CEO of iCityApps Inc. “We anticipate iCityMyrtleBeach to be ready and approved for launch by mid August,” continued Mr. Pereymer.

iCity Apps Inc. is currently in production to release applications for the following cities: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle. Additionally, we expect to offer our applications for the Android Platform by September 2010 and the Windows Platform by October 2010.

The iCityMiami application is designed to be a concierge and directory for local residents as well as visitors to the Greater Miami area. Users will be able to access information related to local venues including but not limited to Restaurants, Health and Fitness, Hotels and Lodging, Entertainment, Shopping and Emergency Health Care to name a few. You can get more information about iCityMiami by visiting www.icitymiami.com.

“iCityMiami is one of more than a hundred free applications currently in development,” states Michael Richmond, Chief Operation Officer of iCityApps Inc. “We’re very excited that our non-obtrusive advertising model will allow iCityApps Inc. to offer this incredible value to consumers at no cost,” continues Richmond.

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Freemake Video Converter: All-in-One Free Video Converter

2010-07-23T10:16:00.000-04:00

24/7-- Freemake Video Converter enables fast and easy conversion to AVI, WMV, MP4, 3GP, DVD, MP3. The converter prepares videos to be viewed on devices: iPod, iPhone, iPad, PSP, smartphones, mobiles, and PC.

The range of input formats is vast: the program is capable of importing videos from DVD, mobiles, Internet, cams, PC. It is also possible to combine photos with background music or audio with visuals to create videos.

With Freemake Video Converter, it is easy to burn up to 20 hours of video to a standard DVD disc and apply different DVD menu styles. The converter tells if it is possible to write a high-quality DVD judging by the duration of the input files, not by their size.

Freemake Video Converter offers such editing options as cutting unwanted video parts, joining several videos into one file, rotating, and flipping.

It also makes it possible to upload files to YouTube directly, without using the original YouTube interface. These can be converted videos, music with visualization, photos or even DVDs. The program will cut videos into 10-minute parts, inserting them into one YouTube playlist, and save the account information.

In short, Freemake Video Converter is a new free program that can bring forward the functionality comparable to that of paid ones. Absolutely free downloading and upgrading, ergonomic and engaging interface and a high speed of conversion allow users to fulfill tasks of different complexity, without time and money spent in vain.

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See What's Brewing in 'Hurricane Alleys' Live On-line, on iPad and iPhone via GOES Satellite

2010-07-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Scientists working for NASA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. have developed continually updating "movies" of satellite imagery that allows on-line, iPhone and iPad viewing of any cyclone's movement in the Hurricane Alleys of the Atlantic Ocean or Eastern Pacific Ocean.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) GOES-13 satellite captures visible and infrared images of the weather over the U.S. East coast. These images are overlaid on a true-color background map, and fed into small and medium-sized videos of the Gulf of Mexico and the nearby Atlantic Ocean for the last 3 days. The GOES-11 satellite provides similar coverage of the U.S. west coast and Eastern Pacific.

The GOES satellites scan further into the oceans twice per hour, offering the opportunity to watch storm development in the swath called "Hurricane Alley," from Atlantic to Pacific. The bigger scans are used to make large-scale Hurricane Alley movies for the last three to five days, illustrating the life-cycle of subtropical storms, as some of them spin up to become hurricanes.

The GOES satellites also scan the entire disk of the Earth every three hours. These are used to produce "full disk movies" from the last five days of satellite imagery data from GOES-13 in the Atlantic and GOES-11 in the eastern Pacific. With just eight frames per day, time flies by quickly as weather circulates across the Western Hemisphere.

"We have recently changed the code for the up-to-date GOES movies, including the "Hurricane Alley" movies, that have links on the page goes.gsfc.nasa.gov," said Dr. Dennis Chesters of the NASA GOES Project at Goddard. "They are now all encoded with H264, the digital compression standard used by the cable TV industry."

Because of the modern video standard, these play on all personal computers (Windows and Macs) that are up-to-date.

Dr. Chesters said that the NASA GOES Project also slightly resized the GOES movies, so that all of the movies have at least one dimension that is a sub-multiple of a standard HDTV dimension (720/1080). "This makes it easy for software that automatically fits movies to a screen to resize them without complicated interpolation," Dennis said. "So, the movies appear sharp and have snappy playback on small-screen devices. For instance, they work nicely on the popular iPads."

As a hidden bonus, each of the four frames at the top of the page (WEST+EAST for USA+GLOBE) is linked to a "reference movie" that downloads a movie that is the right size for your device. This is a Quicktime-only feature that will work on all Apple computers and Windows PCs that have Quicktime installed. The "reference movie" will accommodate iPhones and iPads as well as Macs and PCs. It sends a highly compressed version if the device is using a slow G3 phone link, but sends a larger, less compressed version to bigger screens with faster connections.

For the 2010 hurricane season, the NASA GOES Project is considering creating a gallery of up-to-date movies in many sizes/formats, with a separate web page with explanations and links.

To access to today's GOES Hurricane Alley movies, visit: http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/

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Protect Your Computer: Don’t be Scared by 'Scareware'

2010-07-09T17:07:00.000-04:00

We’ve all seen them—pop-up messages telling you your computer is infected with a virus. To get rid of it, all you have to do is order the antivirus software being advertised.

Before you click, though, know this: few Internet security companies use ads to tell you about a virus on your computer. Most of these pop-ups are scams, and it’s one of the fastest-growing types of Internet fraud today.

These scams have a name. They’re called “scareware” because they try to frighten you into purchasing fake antivirus software with a seemingly genuine security warning. But if you do try to buy this program, it will either do nothing…or it could compromise your computer by installing malicious software onto your system. And in some instances, you don’t even have to click on the pop-up box…the software downloads automatically.

Cyber criminals often use notorious botnets—networks of compromised computers under their control—to push out their software. They’ll also masquerade as legitimate Internet security companies and buy ads on other websites—called “malvertising”—but when consumers click on the ads to purchase the products, they are redirected to websites controlled by the bad guys.

Many of these criminals operate outside the U.S., making investigations difficult and complex for the FBI and its partners. But we’ve had successes—just this past May, for example, three people were charged in Illinois in connection with a scheme that caused Internet users in more than 60 countries, including the U.S., to buy more than $100 million worth of bogus scareware software.

Two of the defendants, including an American, are accused of running an overseas company that claimed to sell antivirus and computer performance/repair software over the Internet. A third man operated the company’s Cincinnati call center, which was responsible for technical and billing support to its customers (but in reality deflected complaints from consumers who realized the software didn’t work).

According to the indictment, proceeds from the sales of the software (which was typically purchased by credit card) were deposited into bank accounts controlled by the defendants and others throughout the world and then quickly transferred to accounts in Europe.

In addition to the consumers victimized by the scam, a number of legitimate companies tricked into selling ad space on their websites for the bogus software were allegedly defrauded of about $85,000 in unpaid fees.

Don’t let it happen to you. Here are a few words of advice on scareware.

How to spot a scareware scam:

* Does the pop-up use “non-clickable” icons? To build authenticity into their software, scareware will show a list of reputable icons—like those of software companies or security publications. However, the user can’t click through to the sites to see the actual reviews or recommendations.
* Is the pop-up ad hard to close? Scareware pop-ups employ aggressive techniques and will not close easily after clicking the “close” or “X” button.
* Have you heard of the software before? Cyber criminals use easy-to-remember names like Virus Shield, Antivirus, or VirusRemover.

How to protect yourself from scareware: Make sure your computer is fully protected by legitimate, up-to-date antivirus software.

If you think you’ve been victimized by scareware: File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

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Evaluate Appeals for Help from Friends Traveling Abroad with Caution

2010-07-04T18:34:00.000-04:00

The Internet Crime Complaint Center continues to receive reports of individuals’ e-mail or social networking accounts being compromised and used in a social engineering scam to swindle consumers out of thousands of dollars.

Here’s how it works: Hackers infiltrate your social networking page, claim to be you, and write your contacts/friends. They portray themselves as “victims” who were robbed while traveling abroad and state they need money immediately because they don’t have a passport, money, credit cards, or cell phone and are stranded.

Some claim they only have a few days to pay their hotel bill and promise to reimburse costs upon their return home. Recipients may be tempted to respond to these appeals because they appear to be from a friend and there’s a sense of urgency to help.

If you receive a similar notice and aren’t sure if it is a scam, you should always verify the information before sending any money. If you have been a victim of this type of scam or any other cyber crime, report it to the IC3 website at www.IC3.gov.

The IC3’s database links complaints for potential referral to the appropriate law enforcement agency for case consideration. Complaint information is also used to identity emerging trends and patterns.

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EarthLink Files Opposition to Comcast-NBCU Merger; Seeks to Enhance Consumer Choice of Internet Services

2010-06-22T11:10:00.000-04:00

PRNewswire -- EarthLink, Inc. (NASDAQ:ELNK) , one of the nation's leading Internet service providers, today filed at the Federal Communications Commission a Petition to Condition or Deny the proposed merger of Comcast Corporation and NBC Universal. (See http://www.earthlink.net/go/merger for EarthLink's Petition.)

EarthLink believes the transaction would result in Comcast engaging in a range of anti-competitive actions that will reduce consumer choice, restrict content diversity, and interfere with Internet competition. To remedy these harms, EarthLink proposed the FCC adopt a condition requiring Comcast to offer wholesale standalone broadband access to independent Internet service providers. EarthLink's successful and long-standing wholesale relationship with Time Warner Cable demonstrates that merger conditions implementing competitive broadband access can enhance consumer choice and create commercial benefits for all parties.

"The access condition that EarthLink proposes today for the Comcast-NBCU merger will be a win for consumers and a win for online competition," said EarthLink Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rolla Huff. "The condition essentially enables Comcast customers to 'break the bundle' and purchase only the services they need or want. We look forward to working with the FCC and the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure the transaction results in greater consumer choice and competition."

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Study Says Regulators Should Preserve Pricing Flexibility for Broadband Service to Help Close Digital Divide

2010-06-22T11:08:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- A new study released today by the Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy looks at how broadband pricing plans that recover a greater share of costs from the heaviest users, including high-bandwidth consuming content providers, would help the United States achieve universal broadband adoption sooner and accelerate the end of a digital divide across income, racial and ethnic lines. The study found that such a digital divide should end before the end of this decade, if Internet Service Providers (ISPs) apply flexible pricing strategies.

The paper, by economists Robert J. Shapiro, Former Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, and Senior Fellow at the Georgetown University Center for Business and Public Policy, and Kevin A. Hassett, Director of Economic Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, notes that the exploding demand for bandwidth, primarily from video applications, will require that the ISPs invest several hundred billion dollars to expand the broadband infrastructure. The study also finds that the pricing approaches used to fund those investments could largely determine the pace of broadband adoption over the next decade. The study utilizes findings from the FCC's National Broadband Plan to update an earlier analysis released last fall.

"Pricing models that recover costs equally, on a per-household basis to all subscribers, will substantially slow adoption," Shapiro and Hassett find. "However, a more flexible pricing model that recovers a greater share of these additional costs from high-bandwidth consumers or content providers would keep most subscribers' fee low and facilitate broadband adoption by all groups of Americans. Under this model, effective universal adoption should be achieved by all racial and ethnic groups by 2018 or 2019."

Shapiro and Hassett say pricing models are critical, because price is the largest factor determining whether a household subscribes to broadband. They observe that given the additional investments required to accommodate fast-rising demand for bandwidth and to avoid Internet congestion, the prevailing flat-fee pricing plans which charge the same fee for both modest and very heavy use of bandwidth will slow how fast lower-income Americans subscribe to broadband services. The paper finds that under the flat-fee pricing approach, fewer than 85 percent of Americans will have home broadband service by the end of this decade - well short of the 100 percent goal set by President Obama. For African Americans and Hispanics, who account for a disproportionate share of lower-income households, adoption rates would be 82 and 83 percent, respectively, if the cost of additional investment is borne equally by all consumers.

"Small price increases for current broadband users, especially middle-income and high-income subscribers, are unlikely to drive them back to dial-up. However, higher prices may have a much larger impact on the Internet subscription choices of households currently without service or using dial-up. Moreover, the evidence suggests that lower-income households are particularly sensitive to higher broadband prices," the study says.

The paper assumes that high bandwidth users, whose bandwidth consumption is fueling the growth of infrastructure investment needs, are relatively insensitive to price increases. It also observes that if that assumption does not hold, the largest share of the additional infrastructure investment could be funded through higher fees from the heaviest bandwidth-consuming content providers.

According to Shapiro and Hassett, "The same narrowing differences in broadband adoption would occur if the 80 percent share of the additional investment is passed along in higher charges to bandwidth-intensive content or applications providers, rather than their consumers. Some such approach would be the most efficient way to ensure that very high-bandwidth users do not drive up the costs of basic broadband service for everyone else."

The authors argue that as a matter of national social policy, average users should not be required to subsidize high-bandwidth consumers and content providers, as they have to date.

"Government policy should protect the ability of ISPs to employ flexible pricing strategies and ensure that government does not, even inadvertently, effectively compel pricing practices that would perpetuate differences in broadband adoption by income, race or ethnicity," added Shapiro and Hassett.

To access the complete study, visit the following link: http://tinyurl.com/2blzrv6. For additional information or media inquiries, please contact Andrea Salvatore by e-mail at cbpp@msb.edu.

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Fraudulent Telephone Calls Allowing Fraudsters Access to Consumer Financial and Brokerage Accounts

2010-06-21T10:36:00.000-04:00

The FBI Newark Divisionreleased a warning to consumers concerning a new scheme using telecommunicationsdenial-of-service (TDoS)attacks.

The FBI determined fraudsters compromised victim accounts and contacted financial
institutions to change the victim profile information (i.e. email addresses, telephone
numbers and bank account numbers).

The TDoS attacks used automated dialing programs and multiple accounts to overwhelm
victims' cell phones and land lines with thousands of calls. When victims answered
the calls they heard dead air (nothing on the other end), an innocuous recorded
message, advertisement, or a telephone sex menu. Calls were typically short in duration
but so numerous that victims changed their phone numbers to terminate the attack.

These TDoS attacks were used as a diversion to prevent financial and brokerage institutions
from verifying victim account changes and transactions. Fraudsters were afforded
adequate time to transfer funds from victim brokerage and financial online accounts.

Protection from TDoS attacks and other types of fraud requires consumers to be vigilant
and proactive. In Newark’s Public Service Announcement (PSA),
they recommend consumers protect themselves by:

* Implement security measures for all financial accounts by placing fraud alerts with
the major credit bureaus if you believe they were targeted by a TDoS attack or other
forms of fraud.
* Use strong passwords for all financial accounts and change them regularly.
* Obtain and review your annual credit report for fraudulent activity.

If you were a target of a TDoS attack, immediately contact your financial institutions,
notify your telephone provider, and promptly report it to the IC3 website at: www.IC3.gov. The IC3 complaint database links complaints to assist in referrals to the appropriate law enforcement agency for
case consideration. The complaint information is also used to identity emerging
trends and patterns.

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Verizon Statement on FCC Vote on Broadband Internet Services Inquiry

2010-06-17T13:31:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Federal Communications Commission approved a Notice of Inquiry by a 3-2 vote on Thursday (June 17) to begin public consideration of possible legal frameworks for commission action on broadband Internet services. The following is a statement by Tom Tauke, Verizon executive vice president for public affairs, policy and communications:

"Reclassifying high-speed broadband Internet service as a telecom service is a terrible idea. The negative consequences for online users and the Internet ecosystem would be severe and have ramifications for decades. It is difficult to understand why the FCC continues to consider this option.

"Rather than attempting to make the new world of broadband fit into the regulatory scheme of the old telephone world, the FCC should acknowledge that this is an issue Congress should address. Nearly 300 members of Congress have signed letters to the FCC, warning against reclassification and expressing support for congressional action.

"We will continue to work with the Congress, the FCC and other interested parties to resolve these issues in a manner that encourages investment, innovation, jobs and the best possible online experience for users."

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Americans for Prosperity Slams FCC's Internet Takeover Attempt

2010-06-17T13:29:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Phil Kerpen, vice president for policy at Americans for Prosperity (AFP), released the following statement in response to the Notice of Inquiry announcement today by the Federal Communications Commission:

"Today marks a troubling and dangerous step forward in the Federal Communications Commission's ongoing effort to take over the internet. The FCC's Notice of Inquiry is an aggressive step in their reckless effort to force decades-old Title II public utility regulations on Internet providers.

"Such a radical change undoes a remarkable decade of success with a free-market, hands-off Internet. No wonder we have seen mounting bipartisan opposition to reclassification from consumers worried about the impact Title II would have on innovation and competition, small businesses worried about a sudden drop in investment, and free-market allies worried about the increased role of the federal government in internet policy.

"Despite the outcry from nearly 300 Democrats and Republicans, President Obama's FCC is determined to regulate. We therefore urge Congress to step in immediately to stop the Commission's dangerous efforts to get regulatory control of the Internet."

AFP's new website -- www.NoInternetTakeover.com -- provides information and tools for Americans to engage their members of Congress on this critical issue.

Americans for Prosperity(TM) (AFP) is committed to educating citizens about economic policy and mobilizing those citizens as advocates in the public policy process. AFP is an organization of grassroots leaders who engage citizens in the name of limited government and free markets on the local, state and federal levels. The grassroots members of AFP advocate for public policies that champion the principles of entrepreneurship and fiscal and regulatory restraint.

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Op Ed: We Need a New System for Interrogating Terrorists

2010-06-03T10:41:00.000-04:00

It's been nearly nine years since 9/11, but we still have no established procedures for interrogating terrorist suspects detained inside the United States. The military-based system developed during the Bush Administration disregards civil liberties. The criminal justice model used in many terrorism cases inhibits intelligence collection. We need a better system.

To meet our counterterrorism objectives, Congress should enact a law that allows the government to interrogate a suspect for intelligence purposes, without counsel present, for up to seven days. To protect the suspect's constitutional rights, the information gained during this time could not be used as evidence against him in a criminal trial.

Once the interrogation is complete, the suspect would be turned over to the criminal justice system for a normal prosecution, with all the usual civil liberties protections. Such a system would maximize the chances of gaining valuable intelligence while leaving our criminal justice system undisturbed.

While civil libertarians will decry this proposal as a form of administrative detention, it's far more protective of civil liberties than the system devised during the Bush Administration (and affirmed by the Supreme Court). Under this military system, suspected terrorists (including U.S. citizens) can be designated enemy combatants by the president, placed in military custody and held indefinitely without trial. Judicial review of the lawfulness of the detention does not take place for months, even years.
High-ranking Bush lawyer Jack Goldsmith, upon seeing 22-year-old U.S. citizen Yasser Hamdi isolated in a naval brig after being designated an enemy combatant, said, "Something seemed wrong. ... This is what habeas corpus is for."

But, as critics have pointed out, the criminal justice procedures used following the failed bombing of Flight 253 to Detroit and the botched car-bomb attack in Times Square could squander opportunities to gain intelligence. Normally, when a suspect is arrested, he is read Miranda rights and given the opportunity to see a lawyer. In most cases, suspects are advised to stop providing information, at least until the lawyer can evaluate the case. Even if a suspect waives his Miranda rights and submits to an interrogation, he must be "presented" in court "without unreasonable delay." These procedures create obstacles to collecting intelligence in national security cases.

There is a "public safety" exception that was used to justify short interrogations in the Flight 253 and Times Square cases without Miranda warnings. And, in both of these cases, it appears the suspects continued to provide information to law enforcement even after being read their rights. But this is more a matter of good fortune than the result of good policy.

Recognizing this, Attorney General Holder floated the idea of expanding the public safety exception to allow for a longer interrogation without Miranda warnings or a court appearance. Civil libertarians correctly note this proposal would undercut the logic of Miranda and threaten the constitutional protection against self-incrimination. Moreover, if Congress disposes of Miranda warnings in terrorism cases, the argument could be made that this protection can also be circumvented for other national security crimes - like espionage - and then serious violent crimes, and so on.

Allowing an "intelligence-only" interrogation would not raise Fifth Amendment problems because the information would be excluded from any subsequent trial. And, because this limitation would complicate prosecutions, the government is only likely to use it in cases where core national security interests are at stake.

Congress should build multiple levels of protection into this system. First, the government should be forced to establish probable cause of a terrorism crime to justify the interrogation. Second, to prevent this authority from being used to conduct secret interrogations, family members should be notified that a relative has been detained. Third, to protect against abusive treatment, the suspect's entire time in custody should be videotaped.

Congress would set the outer limit for this detention. In the United Kingdom, pre-charge detention is allowed for 28 days. We have a more libertarian tradition than the U.K., so an outer limit of seven days or less might be a reasonable period.

Detention for interrogation is an unsettling concept. But neither the criminal justice system nor law of war is perfectly suited for dealing with terrorism. To deal with this threat that combines aspects of both crime and war, we need to craft flexible institutions and legal procedures.

By David H. Schanzer

Durham, NC

David Schanzer is the director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security at Duke and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. This op-ed ran in the Baltimore Sun, Newark Star-Ledger, Allentown Morning Call and the (Raleigh) News & Observer.

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Geolocation Apps and Social Networks Can Be a Dangerous Combo

2010-05-26T13:45:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Geolocation, or identifying the geographic location of people via Internet-enabled devices, has spawned a new type of social networking--one that leading outlets like CNN and ZDNet say has relevant future business applications but dangerous capabilities. According to Edison Research, only 7 percent of Americans are aware of location-based social networks--which means awareness should start now before the trend grows in popularity.

Foursquare, one of the most popular social geolocation networks, has pushed sharing geo-location data mainstream, with Facebook and Twitter now offering geolocation options for updates. But is this new trend simply an open invitation to criminals? Foursquare acknowledges the problem on their blog saying that the question is a legitimate one that should include all methods of giving away one's location, such as posting about a vacation on Facebook or tweeting with "headed to" followed by a location on Twitter.

"Smartphones are more prevalent now, especially among preteens and teens, and social networks like Foursquare and Gowalla target that demographic by using geo-locational data as part of a game," said InternetSafety CTO Aaron Kenny. "Linking the game to social networks like Twitter--an easy integration--publicly displays the location of you or your child, representing a potentially dangerous and invasive privacy breach. It's clear that the sites want people to share their data, so it's up to individuals to make sure their use of these sites is safe."

Users of geolocation apps can follow a few basic tips to limit the amount of personal location data they share:

-- Monitor connected accounts - If your child has a Twitter page, make
sure that games like Foursquare and Gowalla aren't linked to it.
Twitter's feed runs over a public network and makes location-based
data available to prying eyes.
-- Educate Yourselves and Your Kids - Take time to learn the pitfalls of
sharing location-based data and explain to your kids why sharing
location-based privacy data is dangerous. Weighing the risks and
rewards that these services provide is a great start.
-- Know Your App - Be sure to check and double-check all settings in all
apps that broadcast geolocation data. These apps seek to make as much
information public as possible because it increases the visibility of
the app, and using the most popular social networks to do so helps the
app spread virally. The unwanted side effect is that the user's exact
location is made public to the world.

In addition to providing industry-leading web filtering products, InternetSafety.com seeks to spread awareness of potentially dangerous online interactions and activities. Visit www.internetsafety.com for more information.

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Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE) Opposes The FCC's "Third Way" Approach to Address Network Neutrality

2010-05-20T10:10:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE) expressed opposition to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) recently developed "third way" approach to regulating the Internet, and urged Congress to play a larger role in the network neutrality debate.

"This policy shift appears to be a risky experiment and will likely lead to higher broadband prices," said ADE Chairman Julius H. Hollis. "It could conceivably keep 100 million Americans economically disenfranchised and locked out of our society - keeping the miracles and benefits of this 'Digital Revolution' far beyond their reach. That is something that we as a country simply cannot afford and, as such, we strongly feel that this is the wrong path to take."

In the letter, ADE urged Congress to play a larger role in the net neutrality debate. The group asked for "sensible action to guarantee all Americans have access to the benefits of high-speed Internet technology," and made several recommendations to achieve this.

"As the world of business, medicine and education shift towards a more digital-based economy, the Chairman's proposal could worsen the problems of low and moderate-income Americans, who are already stretched financially and have disproportionately borne the brunt of this recession," said Manuel A. Diaz, Vice Chairman of the ADE Board of Directors.

"ADE and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) are dedicated to closing the economic divide through digital technology so that everyone, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, has the opportunity to access information in order to improve their quality of life, said Larry Cohen, CWA President. "With quick action from Congress, we can move forward to build the world class Internet society that will truly transform our nation into a better and fairer society for all Americans."

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Remington Financial Group Chairman Issues 'Email Fraud Warning,' Alerts FBI

2010-05-12T08:55:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Chairman and founder of Remington Financial Group, Andy Bogdanoff, has alerted the FBI and other law enforcement agencies that an email scam is falsely using Remington's name to gain private information that may be used in identity theft.

In making the announcement, Bogdanoff emphasized that none of Remington's customer data had been breached by what appears to be a 'copycat email' scam similar to those that attempted to victimize bank and credit card customers in the past.

Remington is a national financial services company, specializing in providing commercial real estate owners and developers with access to needed capital. Since 1993, Remington has arranged more than $5 billion in financing for all types of commercial property.

Remington uncovered the "phishing" scheme through routine monitoring of the Internet for potential fraud activity. "In keeping with Remington's fraud policy," Bogdanoff said, "we referred the data we collected to the appropriate law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and appropriate state and local authorities."

Earlier in the year, Remington implemented what is believed to be the most comprehensive and stringent fraud policy in the financial services industry. At the time, Bogdanoff called on others in the industry to "shore up" their fraud policies and to rectify any deficiencies. "By doing so," Bogdanoff said, "the financial services industry can help regain public confidence and trust, which has been sorely tested by recent scandals."

The Remington Financial Group Fraud Policy includes strict monitoring controls and rigorous due diligence procedures designed to protect the integrity of the company and the interests of every person and entity involved in Remington activities.

"My hope is that Remington's Fraud Policy will become the 'gold standard' throughout the industry," Bogdanoff said. "At Remington, our goal is clear: To be super-vigilant against even the hint of fraudulent or other inappropriate activity by any employee, customer or lender associated with Remington. Any such behavior will not be tolerated. And any violation of this policy will be met with swift and appropriate disciplinary or legal action," Bogdanoff said.

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Small Business Group Bemoans Federal Intrusion on the Internet

2010-05-07T16:44:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Despite the fact that Congress has not given the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to regulate the Internet, along with a recent court decision informing the government agency that it exceeded its regulatory boundaries in trying to do so, the FCC announced that it will move forward with intrusive and risky rules that hurt innovation, the economy and small business. According to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council), such federal government intrusion dictating how the Internet operates will suffocate innovation, chill investment, and erode U.S. competitiveness. Moreover, Internet regulation undermines two crucial goals of the Obama Administration - accelerating the pace of economic recovery, and making broadband available for every American who wants access.

Commenting on the FCC's fixation to control the workings of the Internet where no problem exists, SBE Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan said: "I cannot tell you how disappointed and concerned we are that the federal government has decided to intrude into an area where creativity, capital and freedom have joined to produce unprecedented gains and opportunities for the individual, society, entrepreneurs and our economy. We are particularly troubled because the FCC has not offered any compelling evidence that an 'Open Internet' has been compromised. In fact, the vast record accumulated by the FCC over the years proves this point: There is no problem."

Raymond J. Keating, SBE Council's chief economist, added: "The FCC's drive to micromanage broadband networks is a case of irrational exuberance for government interference. While Internet providers have every incentive to serve their markets well, and clearly no market failure exists, the FCC chairman nevertheless wants government calling the shots on broadband pricing and operations. Investment and innovation will suffer accordingly, as will the entrepreneurs and small businesses that rely on and contribute to the Internet. At a time of great uncertainty regarding the economy and markets, the FCC inexplicably is creating greater uncertainty."

As the SBE Council has argued in its comments to the FCC, certainty is needed in order for broadband providers to invest the billions upon billions needed to fully deploy broadband and maintain its complex operations and growth. Indeed, the FCC has developed a National Broadband Plan recognizing the need for massive private sector investment in order to reach its goal of making broadband available to every American who wants access. Unfortunately, the FCC's obsession with regulation will undermine the essential goals it sets out in the National Broadband Plan, according to SBE Council.

Kerrigan continued: "Chairman Genachowski is moving full-steam ahead with a risky regulatory scheme even though the Congress has never given the Commission such authority to regulate the Internet. As consumers of broadband, and as entrepreneurs engaged in its deployment, maintenance and development; small business owners have the most to lose if intrusive new rules are enacted. That is why small business owners overwhelmingly oppose 'net' regulation, and we will continue to work with our supporters and small business leaders in Congress to ensure the FCC does not impose burdensome rules that disrupt innovation, service offerings, deployment as well as the Internet's staggering progress and the opportunities it offers."

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FCC's Third Way Would Transfer Costs for Digital Expansion to the Un-served and Underserved

2010-05-07T15:13:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The CEO and Chairman of the Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE), Julius Hollis, issued the following statement regarding FCC Chairman Genachowski's announcement yesterday that the FCC will seek to reclassify broadband providers as common carrier services under certain provisions of Title II of the Communications Act, in order to restore a legal foundation to their regulatory authority following the recent FCC vs. Comcast lawsuit:

"Yesterday's announcement by Chairman Genachowski is both perplexing and concerning. The FCC, after conferring with various stakeholders, crafted a comprehensive National Broadband Plan which seeks to guide the build out of high speed Internet and stimulate much-needed job growth. The FCC's National Broadband Plan provides a level and competitive landscape across all networks allowing for the spread of broadband to all American consumers. All this while maintaining an open Internet.

However, the Chairman's "third way" approach constricts economic development, particularly in communities of color that have been economically marginalized for decades due to the absence of private sector investment. This "third way" that the Chairman speaks of could further perpetuate economic inequalities by restricting consumers' choice and access to affordable broadband as our society moves towards a digitally-based economy.

"The Alliance for Digital Equality fully supports an open Internet and a regulatory environment that incentivizes the private investment necessary to bring digital technology to our currently un-served and underserved communities, leading to economic equality. ADE calls on the FCC today to focus on the critically important task of getting all Americans connected as delineated in the National Broadband Plan by promoting a more balanced regulatory environment. The ADE encourages Chairman Genachowski to reconsider his plans to implement a third way."

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FCC Moves Toward More Government Regulation of the Internet

2010-05-06T13:43:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- According to reports, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genacowski will seek to reclassify broadband services under New Deal-era "common carrier" laws created for early landline telephone technology, thereby allowing the government to regulate the Internet via outdated rules. In response, Center for Individual Freedom's Vice President of Legal and Public Affairs Timothy Lee issued the following statement:

"The FCC should not attempt to apply archaic 1930s rules to 21st century technologies. This move by Chairman Genacowski will do nothing but stifle innovation, investment and growth within the broadband sector.

"Reclassifying broadband will merely allow the government to intervene in a thriving Internet market and hamper the constant service improvement and innovations to which consumers have become accustomed. It's the proverbial 'solution in search of a problem.' This bald partisan move also ignores all of the new technologies that are available precisely due to limited government intervention, and will ultimately move us backward to old-fashioned rules that once governed telephone services in the early 20th century.

"With everything else going on, do we really need a government take over the Internet?"

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Consumer Watchdog Calls on Justice Department to Launch Antitrust Action Against Google, Including Possible Breakup

2010-04-21T14:17:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Watchdog today called on the U.S. Department of Justice to launch a broad antitrust action against Google seeking remedial action that could include breaking the Internet giant into separate companies.

The letter from John M. Simpson, consumer advocate with the nonpartisan, nonprofit group, praised the DOJ for its opposition to the Google Books case and the Federal Trade Commission's intense investigation of the proposed $750 million acquisition of AdMob. However, the group said it is time to move beyond a reactive approach and "actively restrain Google's broader ability to abuse both users and advertisers."

"Such action could include breaking Google Inc. into multiple separate companies or regulating it as a public utility," the letter said. "Google exerts monopoly power over Internet searches, controlling 70 percent of the U.S. market. For most Americans - indeed, for most people in the world - Google is the gateway to the Internet. How it tweaks its proprietary search algorithms can ensure a business's success or doom it to failure."

Consumer Watchdog said Google subsidizes its other businesses by the monopolistic prices it is able to maintain because of its dominance in search.

Read Consumer Watchdog's letter to the Justice Department here:
http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/LTRjustice042110.pdf

Consumer Watchdog said the Justice Department could seek a variety of remedies:

-- One possibility would be to break Google into different companies devoted to different lines of business. Search could be separated from advertising. Gmail and its new social networking service, Buzz, could be spun off as a separate entity as could YouTube, a Google acquisition that we believe should have been denied at the time of merger. Enterprise applications could be another separate business.

-- Google's importance as a gateway to cyberspace requires a maximum degree of openness and transparency with the potential for government regulation. Arguably Google's monopoly position and importance to the Internet means that the company should be regarded as a public utility and regulated. Regulations could be designed to open up Google's ad platform to enable other competitors to compete. Rules could be crafted to create greater transparency in the operation of Google's ad platform to enable parties to negotiate more effectively - for example: by providing greater visibility into the maximum amount of the highest bid, how many search terms are shown per page, and how Google's "quality score" is derived and applied. Little, if any, of this information is currently public and openness would contribute to consumer choice and options as well as foster competition.

-- Another remedy would be to force Google to disgorge its monopolistic gains through the imposition of financial penalties. The payment would have to be significant enough to impact Google's future behavior. Perhaps the amount could be tied to paying back consumers for monetizing their private information and content without compensating them.

"The pending actions in the Books case and AdMob deal are important and must be pursued to their conclusion. It is, however, past time to act against Google's monopolistic and pervasive power over the entire Internet. Consumer Watchdog asks you to launch that action today," the letter concluded.

Consumer Watchdog released its letter to the Justice Department today at a news conference "The Antitrust Case Against Google" at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. In addition to Simpson, participants were Joseph Bial, special counsel at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, who represents myTriggers.com and TradeComet.com; Simon Buckingham, a New York based Internet and mobile entrepreneur; and Gary Reback, an attorney with Carrell & Ferrell and a founder of the Open Book Alliance. They spoke offering their personal views and analysis.

Consumer Watchdog, formerly the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights is a nonprofit, nonpartisan consumer advocacy organization with offices in Washington, DC and Santa Monica, Ca. Our Website is www.consumerwatchdog.org.

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Citizens for a Digital Future Applauds Georgia General Assembly for Supporting Broadband Investment, Passage of HB 168

2010-04-16T06:59:00.000-04:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--In response to the Georgia General Assembly passage of HB 168, the Telecom Jobs and Investment Act, John Watson, Chairman of Citizens for a Digital Future, made the following statement:

“Citizens for a Digital Future applauds the Georgia General Assembly for passing HB 168, an important step in increasing broadband investment and deployment in Georgia. This legislation encourages broadband growth and competition and represents the best interests of Georgia’s consumers and businesses by offering opportunity for greater investment and enhanced services. HB 168 encourages broadband investment from the private sector, which will stimulate job growth and provide access to new technologies and opportunities for businesses to expand.

“With passage of this legislation, which follows the legacy of telecommunications reform started in 1995 under the leadership of Governor Perdue, businesses will view Georgia as a place to devote resources, consequently strengthening the Georgia economy and promoting innovation for broadband enhancement and digital technologies. This increased investment will provide greater opportunity for more Georgians to experience the many benefits of broadband such as enhanced education, healthcare and economic growth. We thank the Georgia General Assembly for its continued leadership in implementing policies that place broadband investment and infrastructure at the forefront of economic growth.”

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Phishing Attacks on Taxpayers Rise in the Weeks Leading up to April 15th IRS Tax Filing

2010-04-09T08:37:00.000-04:00

/PRNewswire/-- SonicWALL, Inc. (NASDAQ:SNWL) , a leading secure network infrastructure company, last week began seeing the expected rise in phishing threats related to the upcoming April 15 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax filing date. The prominent phishing scam comes when taxpayers are notified from the IRS that their tax refund is now available. Scammers will then ask users to provide their bank card information and identity information to assure that the refund is deposited in the appropriate account.

"As we've seen in the past, the weeks before April 15th are the most likely for taxpayers to see a rise in tax-related phishing emails," said Leon Hilton, Email Security Expert, SonicWALL. "We predict that more than 100 million IRS related phishing emails will be sent to tax payers in the days leading up to and after the April 15 tax filing deadline."

While the IRS does not send e-mail regarding your refund, you may still get legitimate e-mail on the subject. A myriad legitimate online filing services, online consultants who answer tax-related questions and online tax calculators currently exist. For example, if you file your taxes with an online tax preparation service you are likely to get legitimate email from them and the bank which acts as the transfer agent for the transaction for the IRS. Phishers use this opportunity to prey on taxpayers who are filing their tax refund -- asking them for bank card information to deposit the refund and social security number so they can verify a taxpayer's identity. Be wary of these types of inquiries.

To help taxpayers identify tax-related potential phishing schemes, the SonicWALL threat team has outlined several steps to help taxpayers defend against these types of phishing-related security threats:

1. Be aware that the IRS does not send you e-mails which ask for any
financial, personal or identity information. Do not respond to these
e-mails. Official correspondence with the IRS is done through US Mail.
2. If you use an online preparations service, pay close attention to
relevant instructions as e-mail messages you could receive include
details such as bank account numbers and when you can expect your
refund to be deposited. Always go back to the tax preparation website
or call to ensure that the online transaction goes smoothly. Also be
sure to print off any related materials to save for later reference if
needed.
3. If you use a tax filing program you will most likely receive an e-mail
notification when your taxes are filed, letting you know that your tax
forms were accepted or possibly rejected. Do not click on any links in
the e-mail. Go back to the tax preparation program and check for any
notifications.
4. Beware of offers that allow you to get loans on your income tax refund.
While some offers are legitimate many others are not and are spam or
phishing scams.
5. If you have a question about an email confirmation of your online
filing and/or refund information from your software program or online
filing service, contact the phone number of the tax service provider.
6. Improve your phishing IQ. SonicWALL has put together the phishing IQ
test specifically to test your phishing knowledge. Go to:
www.sonicwall.com/phishing/
7. For more information about identity phishing, e-mail scams and bogus
IRS websites, go to
http://www.irs.gov/privacy/article/0,,id=179820,00.html?portlet=1

For more information on the topic of phishing and other related threats, go to: http://anti-spam.sonicwall.com/

SonicWALL is a registered trademark of SonicWALL, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Safe Harbor Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements regarding defensive measures to be used to combat attacks concerning news search sites. These forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the time the statements are made and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. In addition, please see the "Risk Factors" described in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, for a more detailed description of the risks facing our business. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based upon information available to SonicWALL as of the date of the release, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement.

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Sunbelt Software Announces Top 10 Malware Threats for March

2010-04-07T09:48:00.000-04:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sunbelt Software, a leading provider of Windows security software, today announced the top 10 most prevalent malware threats for the month of March 2010. The report, compiled from monthly scans performed by Sunbelt Software's award-winning anti-malware solution, VIPRE® Antivirus, and its antispyware tool, CounterSpy®, is a service of SunbeltLabs™.

“Generic and behavior-based detections help VIPRE nail a lot of the polymorphic variants and newly-created malicious code. It might be new and evade detections for existing malicious activity, but when it runs in VIPRE’s MX-V™ virtual environment, the malicious activity is sure to be caught.”

The list of detections for March shows the continued prevalence of Trojan horse programs circulating on the Internet and the growing trend of generic and behavior-based detections in antivirus detections. Generic and behavior-based detections by the antivirus industry have improved thanks to the massive increase in new malcode, which number thousands per day.

The top two detections for the month remained in the same positions as last month. Both Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT (31.07 percent) and Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen (4.97 percent) maintained approximately the same pervasiveness in the overall malware tracked. The top 10 made up more than 50 percent of all detections for the month and the top two made up greater than 36 percent of all detections.

Sunbelt’s Top 10 list is similar to February’s detections, however March saw the additions of INF.Autorun (v) and BehavesLike.Win32.Malware (v) appearing in the fifth and sixth spots and Trojan.Win32.Agent and Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen (v) dropped off the list.

Other detections with a significant change in March include Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen (v), which saw its percentage of total detections grow by almost 50 percent, and Trojan.Win32.Generic.pak!cobra – which saw a significant drop in its share from 3.37 percent to 1.37 percent of all detections.

“Good antivirus defense requires not only up-to-the-minute detections of malware, but fast detection as well,” said Sunbelt Software research center manager Tom Kelchner. “Generic and behavior-based detections help VIPRE nail a lot of the polymorphic variants and newly-created malicious code. It might be new and evade detections for existing malicious activity, but when it runs in VIPRE’s MX-V™ virtual environment, the malicious activity is sure to be caught.”

“It’s a cat-and-mouse game that’s been going on as long as there have been antivirus engines. The hackers try to come up with something that will evade detection and steal something valuable from its victims. Sunbelt creates detection technology that works fast and seamlessly to not bog down our customers’ systems,” Kelchner added.

New entries in the top 10 in March were:

* INF.Autorun (v) – Trojan downloader
* BehavesLike.Win32.Malware (v) – category of suspicious behaving malware

The top 10 results represent the number of times a particular malware infection was detected during VIPRE and CounterSpy scans that report back to ThreatNet, Sunbelt Software’s community of opt-in users. These threats are classified as moderate to severe based on method of installation among other criteria established by SunbeltLabs. The majority of these threats propagate through stealth installations or social engineering.

The top 10 most prevalent malware threats for the month of March are:
1. Trojan.Win32.Generic!BT 31.07%
2. Trojan-Spy.Win32.Zbot.gen 4.97%
3. Exploit.PDF-JS.Gen (v) 3.76%
4. Trojan.Win32.Generic!SB.0 3.36%
5. INF.Autorun (v) 1.70%
6. BehavesLike.Win32.Malware (v) 1.47%
7. Trojan.Win32.Generic.pak!cobra 1.37%
8. Trojan.Win32.Malware 1.37%
9. Trojan.ASF.Wimad (v) 1.23%
10. Virtumonde 1.21%

To see a graphical comparison of the top 10 most prevalent malware infections between February and March, please visit http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/malware-threat-report/February-March-2010-Malware-Threat-Report.jpg.

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A review on Carbonite

2010-03-24T13:53:00.000-04:00

After listening to commercials for Carbonite on talk radio and TV I was sufficiently hyped. I had prior experience with a hard drive meltdown and knew I lived on borrowed time. I back up my computer... sort of.

I have an external drive that started out primarily as a backup and quickly became a repository of files that would no longer fit on my main hard drive. Periodically I back up to disk, but given the size of my files it's a major operation so I have a tendency to put it off.

I do websites and am a host reseller with a large company. They offered a free backup using Carbonite the last time I visited so I said "what the heck, I'm past due". Especially since twice I'd lost all my emails due to overloading the system I guess --- corrupt file and wham, I lost a thousand or so emails each time.

The free trial was size limited and I quickly discovered it didn't even touch my main drive. They offered a nice discount to go full boat, so click, charge and voila I was using Carbonite to back up my system.

The second day after my initial backup onto Carbonite I had an email meltdown and was able to go into the system and recover my emails. Sweet.

I liked that and for once my timing on things worked just fine.

However, all is not rosy when it comes to Carbonite. Here are the problems I've found...

First, they only back up your main drive, not the external. For most people that's probably fine. However, for me, aside from my emails, I have migrated to keeping a vast amount of my data on the external drive.

Carbonite offers an upgraded pricing structure which allows you to back up the external drive. It is cost prohibitive for me. When I had them look at my system and give a price quote, I'd be paying them $250 a month. Yes, a month, not a year. I decided I could buy another external drive and forgo that expense. In fact, I could buy an external drive a month and come out cheaper.

The other thing which is a major, major pain to me is that Carbonite slows my system to the point where I'm ready to yank out my hair. I finally set it up so that it backs up during my lunch hour and from midnight until 9 a.m. I am taking a chance that I'll lose stuff during the day-time hours while I'm working, but I still have my speed.

Lest you think I'm being silly, I can tell you exactly when Carbonite kicks in... sometimes I have to shut down my system and reboot as it locks things up.

Is it worth it? Well, for what I'm paying, yes. I decided it was worth the cost just to be able to grab my emails if the system wonked out on my again. I get close to a thousand emails a day, sometimes more. Most are used on various websites so they're my work lifeblood.

I'd also say that it's probably worth it for the average person, even at non-discounted rates. Especially if you're the kind of person who never or rarely backs things up. Those photos (which I keep on my external drive) need to be saved. Many of us have important work files that need to be saved, too.

Me? I take zillions of photos for my news sites and I also do movies and videos that take up huge amounts of space. I am stuck with having to figure out a way to back them up without using Carbonite.

I don't begrudge Carbonite's way of doing business. They have to make money. I checked out Mozy and while they price differently, I still can't justify the cost. I suggest you look at both. I encourage you to make sure you are backing up your important files somehow, some way, whether it's an online back up system or via two, yes two, external hard drives. External hard drives go back just like your main drive. You need a back up of your back up.
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National Center for Disaster Fraud to Coordinate Haitian and Chilean Fraud Complaints

2010-03-12T12:10:00.000-05:00

Shortly after the earthquake in Haiti last January, the FBI and the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) established a telephone hotline to report suspected fraud associated with relief efforts. That number, (866) 720-5721, was initially staffed for the purpose of reporting suspected scams being perpetrated by criminals in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake.

Since then with the recent earthquake in Chile our efforts have expanded to identify similar fraud activity coming out of that disaster. Therefore the public is encouraged to call this same number (866) 720-5721 to report suspected fraud from either disaster. The telephone line is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, e-mail information can be directly sent to disaster@leo.gov.

The National Center for Disaster Fraud was originally established by the Department of Justice to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast Region. Now, its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or manmade disaster. More than 20 federal agencies, including the
FBI, participate in the NCDF, allowing the center to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to Haitian or Chilean Relief Fraud.

The FBI continues to remind the public to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations on behalf of Haitian or Chilean victims. Solicitations can originate from e-mails, websites, door-to-door collections, mailings and telephone calls, and similar methods.

Therefore, before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, including the following:

* Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links
contained within those messages because they may contain computer viruses.
* Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials
asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
* Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same
as those of reputable charities.
* Rather than following a purported link to a website, verify the legitimacy of non-profit
organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming
the group's existence and its non-profit status.
* Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached
files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
* To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions
directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation
on your behalf.
* Do not be pressured into making contributions, as reputable charities do not use
such tactics.
* Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions.
Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable
to identity theft.
* Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by debit or credit card, or write a check
directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals.
* Legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services.
* Most legitimate charities websites end in .org rather than .com.
* There are scams targeting Haitian immigrants and their families offering assistance
in getting family members and friends out of Haiti. These individuals charge a fee
and then claim they will provide the necessary immigration paperwork or an airline
ticket for disaster victims to leave Haiti. For official information pertaining
to immigration from Haiti to the U.S., visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) website at www.USCIS.gov.

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud from someone or an organization soliciting
relief on behalf of Haitian or Chilean earthquake victims, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721. You can also fax information to fax (225) 334-4707 or e-mail it to disaster@leo.gov.

You can also report suspicious e-mail solicitations or fraudulent websites to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

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Twitter is watching you... New technology tells the world where you're tweeting from

2010-03-12T08:19:00.000-05:00

Twitter already reveals to the rest of the world what you're doing and what you're thinking, and now the microblogging site can let everyone know where you are as well.

A new feature rolled out this week means Twitter users have the option of including their location when they tweet via a tracking tool they can turn on or off.

http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/817158-twitter-is-watching-you-new-technology-tells-the-world-where-youre-tweeting-from

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