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[APPLe list] general internet news - February 4
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The internet in China: Alternative reality
http://economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10608655
Third undersea internet cable cut in Middle East
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/02/2152751.htm
Ships did not cut internet cables: Egypt
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/04/2153455.htm
Rare Cable Rupture 'a Wake-Up Call' for India
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/01/AR2008020103078.html
us: Note: Selling pot on Craiglist isn't wise [AP]
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-02-01-craigslist-pot_N.htm
Delays hamper NZ's intellectual property
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4384277a13.html
OECD conference: The Future of the Internet Economy
http://www.oecdministerialseoul2008.org/en/
Pirate Bay Says It Can't Be Sunk, Servers Scattered Worldwide
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/02/the-pirate-bay.html
Microsoft wants to purchase Yahoo for US$44.6bn
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7222114.stm
Microsoft Bids $44.6 Billion for Yahoo
http://nytimes.com/2008/02/01/technology/01cnd-subyahoo.html
Microsoft Crafts New Mobile Strategy With Yahoo!
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/02/02/microsoft-yahoo-merger-tech-ebiz-cx_ew_0202mobile.html
Google Assails Microsoft’s Bid for Yahoo
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/technology/03cnd-google.html
Google's Microsoft Fixation
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/googles-microsoft-fixation/index.html
Microsoft tries to buy way into 21st century
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/02/microsoft.yahoo
Microsoft could face EU antitrust hurdles with Yahoo bid
http://iht.com/articles/2008/02/01/business/regs.php
Privacy advocates sound alarms over Microsoft's bid to buy Yahoo
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9060703
Google Disappoints
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/01/31/google-earnings-yahoo-tech-inter-cx_wt_0131goog.html
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INTERNET USE
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The internet in China: Alternative reality
China will soon boast more internet users than any other country. But usage patterns inside China are different from those elsewhere
http://economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10608655
us: Gutierrez Hails Dramatic U.S. Broadband Growth [news release]
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today released the report, “Networked Nation: Broadband in America, 2007,” that highlights the dramatic growth of broadband in the United States. The report shows that the Administration’s technology, regulatory and fiscal policies have stimulated innovation and competition, and encouraged investment in the U.S. broadband market contributing to significantly increased accessibility of broadband services.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/2008/NetworkedNation_013108.html
The Impact of Video and Rich Media on the Internet – A ‘zettabyte’ by 2015?
An upsurge of technological change and a rising tide of new forms of data are working a deep transformation of the Internet’s capabilities and uses. In this third phase of Net evolution, network architectures and commercial business plans reflect the dominance of rich video and media traffic.
http://www.discovery.org/a/4428
Third undersea internet cable cut in Middle East
A third undersea cable has been cut after breaks near Egypt earlier this week disrupted internet access in parts of the Middle East and Asia, Indian-owned cable network operator FLAG Telecom said.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/02/2152751.htm
New cable cut compounds net woes
A submarine cable in the Middle East has been snapped, adding to global net problems caused by breaks in two lines under the Mediterranean on Wednesday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7222536.stm
Ships did not cut internet cables: Egypt
Ships are not responsible for damaging undersea internet cables in the Mediterranean, Egypt's Government says.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/04/2153455.htm
http://news.smh.com.au/no-ships-present-when-internet-cable-cut-says-egypt-communication-ministry/20080201-1pf4.html
Repairs to start on undersea cable Tuesday [IDG]
Flag Telecom will start repairs next week on a damaged submarine telecommunications cable linking Egypt and Italy. A repair ship is expected to reach the site of the damage, 8.3 kilometers from Alexandria, Egypt, on Tuesday. The repair will take a week to complete, Flag Telecom said Friday.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/02/01/Repairs-to-start-on-undersea-cable-Tuesday_1.html
Rare Cable Rupture 'a Wake-Up Call' for India
... The fiber-optic cables that carry data around the world have been damaged before. But experts said the simultaneous rupture of two underwater cables, reportedly caused by a ship's anchor 12 miles off the coast of Egypt, was rare, and served to highlight the vulnerability of the global information technology system.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/01/AR2008020103078.html
India Internet capacity at 80 pct after cables break [Reuters]
India's Internet services were operating at about 80 percent of capacity on Friday after breaks in undersea cables disrupted Web access, and normal services could be restored in a week, an industry official said.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL3026621820080201
How one clumsy ship cut off the web for 75 million people
A flotilla of ships may have been dispatched to reinstate the broken submarine cable that has left the Middle East and India struggling to communicate with the rest of the world, but it took just one vessel to inflict the damage that brought down the internet for millions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/01/internationalpersonalfinancebusiness.internet
Undersea cable accident a test of the Internet
Two cables carrying Internet traffic under the Mediterranean Sea were snapped Wednesday, disrupting business half a world away.
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-india1feb01,1,5034745.story
Finger-Thin Cables Tie Internet Together [AP]
The lines that tie the globe together by carrying phone calls and Internet traffic are just two-thirds of an inch thick where they lie on the ocean floor.
http://news.smh.com.au/fingerthin-cables-tie-internet-together/20080201-1pfo.html
http://news.theage.com.au/fingerthin-cables-tie-internet-together/20080201-1pfo.html
Crippling Mideast Internet Blackout Could Last Two Weeks
Severe Internet and phone service outages hit Egypt and India Wednesday after two submarine cable communication lines were severed. Submarine cable lines are the main connection lines for Internet service providers (ISPs) and telephony companies. The two lines that connect Egypt sit just off the coast of Alexandria. They were severed at approximately 6 a.m. local time. The accidents knocked out Internet connections throughout 70 percent of the country and international calls throughout 30 percent of the country, according to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Crippling-Mideast-Internet-Blackout-Could-Last-Two-Weeks-61471.html
comScore Releases Top German Web Rankings for December [news release]
... “While Google and Microsoft remain the most popular properties in Germany, the biggest gainers in December were online retailers,” said Bob Ivins, EVP of European Markets for comScore. “Despite a relatively soft season for online retail traffic in Germany, five of the top ten gaining properties were retail sites, highlighting the importance of the Christmas season in driving online traffic during December.”
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2036
comScore Releases Top French Web Rankings for December [news release]
... Retail sites dominated the top-gaining site category rankings for December, led by the Toys category, up 65 percent to 4.9 million visitors. The category was led by Eveiletjeux.com – part of the Groupe PPR property – with 3.3 million visitors (up 39 percent). Other retail-related categories experiencing gains included Fragrances/Cosmetics (up 21 percent to 3.4 million visitors), Sports/Outdoor (up 18 percent to 3.5 million visitors), and Jewelry/Luxury Goods/Accessories (up 12 percent to 2.4 million visitors). The Shipping (up 39 percent to 1.8 million visitors) and e-cards categories (up 34 percent to 4 million visitors) also saw increased activity due to the holiday season.
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2032
comScore Releases Top U.K. Web Rankings for December [news release]
... Online retail factored prominently into the top-gaining site category rankings for December as the culmination of the Christmas shopping season approached. The consumer goods category gained 21 percent for the month to nearly 9.7 million visitors, while the mall category jumped 10 percent to 14.6 million visitors. The mall category was led by Argos with 12 million visitors (up 18 percent from November). Greetings sites also grew in December. The e-cards category experienced a 26-percent increase to 8.2 million visitors, while the flowers/gifts/greetings category gained 12 percent to 6.9 million visitors. Meanwhile, the shipping category grew 10 percent to 5.5 million visitors.
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2029
comScore Releases Top Japan Web Site Rankings for December, 2007 [news release]
With the holidays and the celebration of the New Year, visits to e-card sites jumped 171 percent to 5.5 million visitors, making it the top-gaining category for the month. Retail site categories also experienced strong growth, including the Jewelry/Luxury Goods/Accessories category (up 34 percent to 1.6 million visitors) and toys (up 25 percent to 2.1 million visitors) as people searched for holiday gifts. Teen sites also experienced a surge in traffic in December, up 57 percent to 2.4 million visitors for the month, due in large part to increased activity at Disney.co.jp.
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2025
comScore Releases 2007 U.S. Internet Year in Review [news release]
... A study of the growth in visitors among the top 100 U.S. Internet properties revealed that 2007 was a strong year for several of the largest properties. Social networking giant Facebook.com reaped the benefits of opening registration to all users, jumping 81 percent versus December 2006 to 34.7 million visitors in December 2007. Wikipedia Sites gained 34 percent to reach nearly 52 million visitors, continuing its reign as the Web’s most popular reference hub. Leading classified site Craigslist.org jumped 74 percent to 24.5 million visitors, while AT&T grew 27 percent to 30.2 million visitors boosted by its exclusive deal with Apple as carrier for the iPhone. Yellow Book Network jumped an impressive 137-percent to 10.4 million visitors.
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2043
comScore 2008 Super Bowl Pre-Game Survey Reveals that the Internet Plays an Important Role on Game Day [news release]
... Three-quarters of respondents said that they intended to log onto the Internet on the day of the Super Bowl. Of those who planned to go online, most said they would do so before the game (82 percent) or after the game (61 percent). Nearly three out of ten also indicated they would log on during the game itself (29 percent) or during halftime (28 percent).
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2044
comScore Releases Rankings of Top U.S. Internet Properties Based on Number of Display Ads Delivered [news release]
... Yahoo! Sites ranked as the top display ad publisher property in November, with 18.8 percent of display ad views, followed by Fox Interactive (16.3 percent), Microsoft Sites (6.7 percent), Time Warner Network (5.8 percent) and Facebook.com (1.5 percent). Nearly half (49.1 percent) of all display ads seen by U.S. Internet users originate on only five properties, illustrating the concentration of advertising among a few properties.
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2045
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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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us: MySpace regulation a must: Students agree federal government not right for task
At least one expert and several young MySpace users are somewhat skeptical of a recent agreement between MySpace and the National Association of Attorneys General to tighten security. David Finkelhor, director of the UNH Crimes Against Children Research Center, said there are elements of the agreement that could be "difficult to maintain."
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080128/GJNEWS_01/871731853/-1/FOSNEWS
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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Mobiles don't cause cancer: UNSW
Mobile phones, deodorants and coffee are extremely unlikely to cause cancer, according to a new risk report designed to combat urban myths about what causes the disease.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23155546-15306,00.html
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DIGITAL DIVIDE
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Africa's Portal To The Internet
At first glance, the idea that the Internet could have a major impact in the poorest parts of the developing world--Africa in particular--seems unlikely. Few people in those poor, rural areas have access to PCs or even electricity, for that matter. The Internet infrastructure is limited to major urban areas in most countries, and broadband services are scarce and quite expensive where they do exist. However, the picture is changing fast. The key is to look at the rollout of mobile telephone infrastructure, which is already widespread and growing rapidly in developing countries.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206100708
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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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FTC goes after alleged MySpace hijackers [IDG]
The Federal Trade Commission has asked a federal court to require an alleged Web page hijacking operation to obey previous orders barring unfair and deceptive practices.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9060482
Suspicious spouses turn to spyware
Nasty computer spyware isn't only used by hackers to steal your credit card details - suspicious spouses have adopted it as a way of monitoring and controlling their partners' every online move. Spyware is software that is surreptitiously installed on a computer with the aim of collecting personal information and monitoring the user's activities. It is often used by hackers to steal personal data like passwords and, increasingly, by parents to monitor their kids' web activities.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/01/1201800999489.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/02/01/1201800999489.html
Cyber-savvy Romanian town gets rich on eBay frauds
Hundreds of people in the poor Romanian town of Dragasani have grown rich by conning eBay online auction customers with deals that seem too good to be true - and often are. The scammers have even put the new town hall up for sale on eBay, the mayor admitted last week. “I mean, who would want it?” he asked.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3295468.ece
us: Note: Selling pot on Craiglist isn't wise [AP]
If you're looking to sell high-grade marijuana, Craigslist may not be the place to do it. A man learned that the hard way when the "buyer" who contacted him turned out to be an undercover officer, Stamford police said.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-02-01-craigslist-pot_N.htm
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PRIVACY
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Imbee.com Settles With FTC Over Child Privacy Violations
The Federal Trade Commission has simultaneously filed and settled a civil lawsuit against the operators of the kids-only social networking site Imbee.com for privacy violations.
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/01/imbeecom-settle.html
Imbee.com Settles FTC Charges Social Networking Site for Kids Violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act; Settlement Includes $130,000 Civil Penalty [news release]
The operators of imbee.com, a social networking site specifically targeting kids and “tweens,” have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that their data-collection practices violated federal law. The settlement bars future violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Commission’s implementing rule, requires that the defendants delete all personal information they collected and maintained in violation of the law, and provides for a $130,000 civil penalty.
http://ftc.gov/opa/2008/01/imbee.shtm
Online Privacy: Achievable Goal or Web 2.0 Pipe Dream?
Does being a Web user automatically mean giving up your right to privacy? A growing chorus of voices says the evolution of the Internet, the increasingly cozy relationship between search and advertising companies and the rise of Web 2.0 social networking technologies adds up to an environment where true privacy may be but an illusion. That idea is not a necessarily a new one, of course. Sun Chairman Scott McNealy is famously quoted as saying "you have no privacy -- get over it," back in 1999, noted John Nicholson of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Online-Privacy-Achievable-Goal-or-Web-20-Pipe-Dream-61482.html
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CENSORSHIP
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uk: Our state collects more data than the Stasi ever did. We need to fight back writes Timothy Garton Ash
This has got to stop. Britain's snooper state is getting completely out of hand. We are sleepwalking into a surveillance society, and we must wake up. When the Stasi started spying on me, as I moved around East Germany 30 years ago, I travelled on the assumption that I was coming from one of the freest countries in the world to one of the least free. I don't think I was wrong then, but I would certainly be wrong now. Today, the people of East Germany are much less spied upon than the people of Britain. The human rights group Privacy International rates Britain as an "endemic surveillance society", along with China and Russia, whereas Germany scores much better.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2249473,00.html
Sentenced to death: Afghan who dared to read about women's rights
A young man, a student of journalism, is sentenced to death by an Islamic court for downloading a report from the internet. The sentence is then upheld by the country's rulers. This is Afghanistan – not in Taliban times but six years after "liberation" and under the democratic rule of the West's ally Hamid Karzai.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/sentenced-to-death-afghan-who-dared-to-read-about-womens-rights-775972.html
Lifeline for Pervez: Afghan Senate withdraws demand for death sentence
In a dramatic volte-face, the Afghan Senate has withdrawn its confirmation of a death sentence on Sayed Pervez Kambaksh, the student convicted of blasphemy for downloading a report on women's rights from the internet.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/lifeline-for-pervez-afghan-senate-withdraws-demand-for-death-sentence-777188.html
uk: Bloody awful
Lionel Shriver: Two decades after they were banned by the censor, a crop of notorious 'video nasties' have been classified as acceptable for release on DVD. Have we become so inured to violence that they now appear tame? Or were the authorities merely being heavy-handed?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2250431,00.html
Google faces lawsuit for blocking name
A Chinese scholar who challenged the Communist government by setting up a democratic opposition party has vowed to sue the US internet company Google for excising his name from its local search results.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9abb5ca2-d0e2-11dc-953a-0000779fd2ac.html
More than half of Russians approve of censorship in Runet
About 58% of the Russians, who participated in the survey held by the SuperJob.ru Research Centre, believe that censorship should be introduced in Runet. Among the reasons in support of censorship is abundance of porno websites, violence promulgation, a lot of unreliable information, doubtful advertising, spam, etc. According to the respondents, first of all children and adolescents, whose state of mind might be influenced by such information, should be secured.
http://eng.cnews.ru/news/line/indexEn.shtml?2008/02/01/286168
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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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au: Crackdown on kid's cyber crime
Cyber crime targeting children will be monitored more closely from today under a Federal Government plan to combat digital bullying.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23153294-5005941,00.html
We must fight child sexual abuse
by J. Thomas Schieffer U.S. Ambassador to Japan: The world is losing the fight against child pornography. Today's widespread use of home computer technology has led to a staggering number of people trading and distributing child pornography online. No country is immune to this form of child sexual exploitation. As two of the world's biggest consumers of child pornography, the United States and Japan must work together to combat its spread.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/columns/commentary/20080131dy01.htm
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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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Report: EC expected to approve Google-DoubleClick deal in February
European regulators are expected to approve Google's proposed acquisition of online ad firm DoubleClick in February despite circulation of a threat assessment report, according to a research note released Thursday by Stifel Nicolaus.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9862071-7.html
Delays hamper NZ's intellectual property
Intellectual property has been touted as the foundation for New Zealand's future, but is being hamstrung by old legislation, underfunding and increasing delays.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4384277a13.html
OECD conference: The Future of the Internet Economy
A conference will be held in Seoul, Korea, in June on 'The Future of the Internet Economy'. This Ministerial promises to be especially rewarding writes Yoo, Younghwan, Minister of Information and Communication in the Republic of Korea. Ministers from OECD Member and non-Member countries as well as Internet experts will come up with a collective vision and a policy framework that will help guide the Internet economy over the next decade. In addition, you can experience what the future of the Internet economy would look and feel like by participating in various side events including the 'World IT Show' (an international exhibition of information and communication technologies)' and related seminars. Many social networking opportunities among participants will also be provided.
http://www.oecdministerialseoul2008.org/en/
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FILE SHARING
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Appeals court sides with prosecution in Kazaa porn case
If someone stores files that are clearly identifiable as child pornography in a folder that can be searched for and accessed by other users on a file-sharing network, is he or she essentially publishing a notice offering to illegally distribute the images?
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;474702063;fp;2;fpid;1
Pirate Bay Says It Can't Be Sunk, Servers Scattered Worldwide
The world's most notorious BitTorrent tracking site, The Pirate Bay, won't be going to Davy Jones' Locker, even if its four operators are convicted of facilitating copyright infringement, one of the defendants said in an interview Friday with THREAT LEVEL.
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/02/the-pirate-bay.html
Notorious pirate website faces copyright case
Swedish prosecutors have filed charges of copyright infringement against the world's most notorious piracy website, claiming it is profiting from the trade in illegal downloads. The Pirate Bay, which is based in the southern Swedish city of Malmö, has become a thorn in the side of the film industry, as one of the internet's most popular destinations for people who want to find and download films and music illegally.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/01/piracy.digitalmusic
Swedish Prosecutors Aim to Blockade Pirate Bay
Swedish prosecutors are charging owners of The Pirate Bay, a peer-to-peer Web site, with "promoting other people's infringements of copyright laws." Hans Fredrik Neij, Per Svartholm Warg, Peter Kolmisoppi and Carl Lundstroem operate what is reportedly the world's largest BitTorrent tracker, connecting users to music, movies and other content on each others' PCs.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Prosecutors-Aim-to-Blockade-Pirate-Bay-61499.html
Sweden Accuses 4 of Copyright Offenses
Prosecutors in Sweden on Thursday charged four men who are associated with a popular file-sharing Web site called Pirate Bay with facilitating copyright infringement.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/01/technology/01pirate.html
Pirate Bay defiant despite criminal charges
As Swedish prosecutors fixed their sights last week on The Pirate Bay, an Internet file-sharing service that is a scourge of the movie and music industries, the operators of the site responded by hoisting a defiant, digital Jolly Roger.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/02/03/technology/PIRATES04.php
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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
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Microsoft wants to purchase Yahoo for US$44.6bn
Microsoft has offered to buy the search engine company Yahoo for $44.6bn (£22.4bn) in cash and shares. The offer, contained in a letter to Yahoo's board, is 62% above Yahoo's closing share price on Thursday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7222114.stm
Microsoft Bids $44.6 Billion for Yahoo
In a bold move to counter Google’s online pre-eminence, Microsoft said Friday that it had made an unsolicited offer to buy Yahoo for about $44.6 billion in a mix of cash and stock. If consummated, the deal would redraw the competitive landscape in Internet consumer services, where both Microsoft and Yahoo have both struggled to compete with Google.
http://nytimes.com/2008/02/01/technology/01cnd-subyahoo.html
http://iht.com/articles/2008/02/01/technology/msft.2-215420.php
http://iht.com/articles/2008/02/01/technology/01msft.php
Yahoo Deal Is Big, but Is It the Next Big Thing?
... Now Microsoft is trying to make up ground by buying what it has not been able to build. To many technologists and entrepreneurs here, the deal does not indicate any imminent threat to the Valley's start-up culture or suggest that the region might go the way of Detroit; it underscores the health of the heartland that has produced waves of ever-more powerful technologies for more than half a century.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/technology/03valley.html
Yahoo Sale Could Be Bad for Minnows
... But Microsoft is buying Yahoo because it has steadily fallen behind Google in the lucrative online search market and because the future of computing may not be forever linked to the desktop market that Microsoft now dominates. Apparently unable to keep up with Google through internal efforts, the legendary software giant in Redmond, Wash., has gone outside to solve its problems by trying to buy Yahoo.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/technology/03yahoo.html
http://iht.com/articles/2008/02/03/technology/03yahoo.php
Microsoft Crafts New Mobile Strategy With Yahoo!
There's more to the proposed takeover of Yahoo! by Microsoft than a scramble for advertising dollars. There's something in the air. At the recent World Economic Conference in Davos, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said mobile Internet services have the potential to spark a "huge revolution" in the coming year, comparable to the "re-creation of the Internet" and the personal computer.
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/02/02/microsoft-yahoo-merger-tech-ebiz-cx_ew_0202mobile.html
Microsoft Finally Gets The Competitive Spirit
Microsoft: champion of competition? That's a headline that no one would have written--except in jest--a few years ago. But that was before Google gained dominance as the biggest search engine and biggest provider of targeted online ads on the planet.
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/02/02/microsoft-yahoo-merger-tech-ebiz-cx_ec_0202compete.html
Google warning over deal tailored to appeal to Brussels
Google’s warning about the implications of a Microsoft acquisition of Yahoo, drawing on an argument that the European Commission has employed in its own challenge of the software company, seemed designed to appeal directly to Brussels regulators.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/129afc9c-d2ae-11dc-8636-0000779fd2ac.html
Google Assails Microsoft’s Bid for Yahoo
Google said Sunday that Microsoft’s proposed $44.6 billion takeover of Yahoo could pose a number of potential threats to competition that need to be examined by policymakers around the world. Google said in a blog post on its Web site that given Microsoft’s anti-competitive conduct in the past and its continued dominance in the technology industry, the proposed transaction could pose threats to “innovation and openness” on the Internet. But Google’s broadly worded concerns lacked detailed claims about the anticompetitive effects of the deal, and the company did not ask federal regulators to take any specific actions at this time.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/technology/03cnd-google.html
Google's Microsoft Fixation
... If the Google management team has a weakness, it is an obsession with Microsoft. That’s understandable perhaps. Eric Schmidt, Google’s chief executive worked at Sun and Novell, two companies that did battle with the Redmond, Wash., giant. And much of the rest of the top management are veterans of Netscape, which was essentially done in by Microsoft.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/googles-microsoft-fixation/index.html
Google weighs in against Microsoft
Google on Sunday raised a red flag over Microsoft’s unsolicited takeover offer for Yahoo, arguing that it could open the way for the software giant to extend its PC monopoly to the internet.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3f503f08-d28c-11dc-8636-0000779fd2ac.html
Why Yahoo! Can't Fix Microsoft
Microsoft and Yahoo! have a problem. Online ads are booming, and they're not. Microsoft's money-losing online business posted sales growth of just 10.9% last quarter. Yahoo! does make money, but last quarter its sales rose a mere 9%, excluding traffic acquisition costs.
http://www.forbes.com/2007/05/04/yahoo-microsoft-google-tech-cx_bc_rr_0504microsoftyahoo2.html
Yahoo! Can't Say No: The logic of Microsoft's brilliant bid.
Also in Slate, Daniel Gross explains what Microsoft's bid for Yahoo! means for the economy and for Google, and Chris Wilson argues that Microsoft's play to purchase Yahoo! isn't about search.
http://www.slate.com/id/2183494/
Deal That May Create More, Not Less, Competition
In most industries, a merger of two major companies would cause everyone else to panic over a decline in competition.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/02/technology/02google.html
Microsoft tries to buy way into 21st century
... Will it work? Academic studies indicates that most mergers fail because they are entered into for the wrong reasons (defence against a predator, buying market share or just management aggrandisement). It is not immediately obvious why this one will be any different. If this is a plan to use Yahoo's vast networks to protect Microsoft's monopoly base it will almost certainly fail. If it uses Yahoo as the vehicle to drive the combined company into hosting services - from photographs to documents - on the web rather than your hard disk (which is where Microsoft is powerful) then it could be a success.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/feb/02/microsoft.yahoo
Microsoft could face EU antitrust hurdles with Yahoo bid
A $44.6 billion offer for Yahoo is expected to place Microsoft at the mercy of the same aggressive European Union competition regulators that it has squared off with for the better part of this decade.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/02/01/business/regs.php
With Yahoo, Microsoft faces antitrust fight once again
Microsoft's proposed $44.6 billion purchase of Yahoo could subject the software giant to the kind of critical antitrust scrutiny from Washington it hasn't experienced in nearly a decade.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9862973-7.html
Microsoft/Yahoo ad threat to rivals
The combined businesses of Microsoft and Yahoo could provide a staunch competitor to Google in key international markets such as Asia and India in the global battle for control of the $80bn-a-year (£40.6bn) online advertising market.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/01/digitalmedia.advertising
Privacy groups vow to fight Microsoft-Yahoo deal [IDG]
Privacy groups are promising a fight before U.S. regulatory agencies if Microsoft's offer to buy Yahoo for $44.6 billion is accepted, and the deal could face significant hurdles in Europe as well.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/02/01/Privacy-groups-vow-to-fight-Microsoft-Yahoo-deal_1.html
Privacy advocates sound alarms over Microsoft's bid to buy Yahoo
The mere specter of a merger between Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. is sounding alarms among some privacy advocates, who say that any union of the two companies should be permitted only after a thorough investigation of how it would affect online privacy.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9060703
Microsoft and Yahoo's shotgun marriage
ANALYSIS: Is this Bill Gates' last big throw? Microsoft's proposal to buy internet veteran Yahoo for a whopping $44.6bn (£22.4bn) certainly grabs the attention. But does it make business sense?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7222199.stm
Profiles: Microsoft and Yahoo
Microsoft's announcement that it would like to buy search engine Yahoo for $44.6bn (£22.4bn) is major news for the computer sector. Here we take a closer look at the two US giants.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7222431.stm
Cultural differences loom large in Microsoft-Yahoo
When you look at the cultural differences between Microsoft and Yahoo, you don't need to look much further than a floor plan.
http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9862908-56.html
Chart: A Microsoft-Yahoo combo by the numbers
Microsoft's bid for Yahoo would create one of the world's largest Web companies, when examined using several different metrics.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6228821.html
http://www.news.com/2100-1014_3-6228821.html
FAQ: What's next for Microsoft's Yahoo bid?
Microsoft faces several financial and legal hurdles on its way to wooing Yahoo to accept its $44.6 billion buyout bid. Here's a brief FAQ explaining some of the reasoning behind Microsoft's actions Friday and what may be on the horizon for the two Google rivals in the near future.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6228772.html
http://www.news.com/2100-1014_3-6228772.html
Microsoft Bids $44.6 Billion for Yahoo
Microsoft Corp. has offered to buy struggling Internet search provider Yahoo for $44.6 billion, a merger that would combine two of the technology world's most well-known names into a potentially potent competitor for Google in the lucrative Web search and advertising market.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/01/AR2008020100750.htmlnyt
Microsoft offers to buy Yahoo for $44.6 billion
Microsoft has offered to buy Yahoo for around $44.6 billion in cash and shares, to better compete with Google in the market for online services.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/02/01/Microsoft-offers-to-buy-Yahoo-for-44-billion_1.html
Microsoft Proposes To Buy Yahoo For $31 Share, In $44.6-Billion Deal
Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has made a proposal to the Yahoo! Inc. Board of Directors to acquire all the outstanding shares of Yahoo! common stock for per share consideration of $31 representing a total equity value of approximately $44.6 billion. Microsoft's proposal would allow the Yahoo! shareholders to elect to receive cash or a fixed number of shares of Microsoft common stock, with the total consideration payable to Yahoo! shareholders consisting of one-half cash and one-half Microsoft common stock. The offer represents a 62 percent premium above the closing price of Yahoo! common stock on Jan. 31, 2008.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206101782
Google Disappoints
Is the Google financial juggernaut starting to sputter? The Internet giant reported fourth-quarter earnings per share Thursday, excluding stock-option expenses, of $4.43--a penny shy of analysts' estimates. Including stock expenses of $245 million, the Mountain View, Calif., company reported earnings per share of $3.79.
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/01/31/google-earnings-yahoo-tech-inter-cx_wt_0131goog.html
Ad Growth Still Strong, Google Says
Google said it has seen no effect from a slowing economy on its advertising business, as it reported a 17 percent jump in profit and a 51 percent growth in revenue in the fourth quarter.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/01/technology/01google.html
Google's earnings up but just shy of expectations
Despite some market concerns over Google's growth potential in a slowing economy, the search giant continues to report strong growth, with fourth-quarter revenue up 51 percent over the same period the year before.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/31/Google-earnings-up-shy-of-expectations_1.html
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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nz: Telcos upset over last minute rules change
A telecommunications industry body is accusing Telecom Corporation and the government of colluding behind closed doors to make last minute changes to rules affecting the company’s forced three-way split.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=20007&cid=3&cname=Technology
nz: Telco commissioner likely to take digital media role
Telecommunications Commissioner Ross Patterson could be invited to take on additional responsibilities for policing the market in newly converged media according to most scenarios canvassed in a discussion paper on the regulations for digital broadcasting released by Ministers Trevor Mallard and David Cunliffe.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/A8603FCDC2CDE5BBCC2573E4006EFEB9
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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
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au: Child porn allegedly found on work computer
A West Australian man from the state’s mid-west has been charged with having child pornography on his work computer.
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=56805
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