News Corporation’s James Murdoch has said that a dominant
BBC threatens independent journalism in the UK. The chairman of the media giant in Europe, which owns the Times and Sun, also blamed the UK government for regulating the media with relish
It’s quite common for regulators around the world to insist that no company can call itself a bank
unless it’s an official, regulated bank. In fact, that’s often why you see companies (including holding companies of real banks) that use the word banc
instead of bank
. It’s to get around such regulations. However, it looks like regulators in Sweden have gone a step further, telling the Swedish domain registrar, that it can’t even allow any domain name to be sold with bank
in it, unless it’s sold to an official bank
In a record reminiscent of a 100-meter dash, scientists at the University of South Wales in Sydney, Australia, have created the world’s most efficient solar power cell ever… by a hair. Professor Martin Green and his colleague Anita Ho-Baillie led a team of US researchers to victory with a multi-cell combination that is able to convert 43 percent of sunlight into electricity. The previous record was 42.7 percent
Lord Mandelson’s plans to cut off the broadband connections of internet users who illegally download copyrighted music and films were attacked by privacy campaigners, internet service providers and Labour MPs yesterday as unworkable, unnecessary and potentially illegal. TalkTalk, Britain’s largest consumer broadband provider, warned that innocent web users could be disconnected after having their connections hijacked by pirates looking to circumvent the new rules. It added that the move will likely breach fundamental human rights
Tartu, Estonia is the hometown of an Internet company that, from the outside, looks just like any other legitimate ISP. On its web site, the company lists services such as hosting and advertising. According to publicly available information, it posted more than US$5 million in revenue and had more than 50 employees in 2007. In reality, however, this company has been serving as the operational headquarters of a large cybercrime network since 2005. From its office in Tartu, employees administer sites that host codec Trojans and command and control servers that steer armies of infected computers. The criminal outfit uses a lot of daughter companies that operate in Europe and in the United States. These daughter companies’ names quickly get the heat when they become involved in Internet abuse and other cybercrimes. They disappear after getting bad publicity or when upstream providers terminate their contracts
Only one crime was solved by each 1,000 CCTV cameras in London last year, a report into the city’s surveillance network has claimed. The internal police report found the million-plus cameras in London rarely help catch criminals. In one month CCTV helped capture just eight out of 269 suspected robbers. David Davis MP, the former shadow home secretary, said: It should provoke a long overdue rethink on where the crime prevention budget is being spent
Parasitic infections and other diseases usually associated with the developing world are cropping up with alarming frequency among US poor, especially in states along the US-Mexico border, the rural South and in Appalachia, according to researchers. Government and private researchers are just beginning to assess the toll of the infections, which are a significant cause of heart disease, seizures and congenital birth defects among black and Hispanic populations. One obstacle is that the diseases, long thought to be an overseas problem, are only briefly discussed in most US medical school classes and textbooks, so many physicians don’t recognise them
Israeli scientists have developed new technology to fight biological identity theft after realising that DNA evidence found at crime scenes can be easily falsified. The researchers showed that with the use of basic equipment and know-how, anyone can obtain artificial DNA that can be incorporated into genuine human blood or saliva, or directly planted at a crime scene
People with conditions such as HIV, TB and malaria should not rely on homeopathic treatments, the World Health Organisation has warned. It was responding to calls from young researchers who fear the promotion of homeopathy in the developing world could put people’s lives at risk. The group Voice of Young Science Network has written to health ministers to set out the WHO view
Civil libertarians have questioned the dramatic increase in the number of CCTV cameras operating in Melbourne’s CBD, saying they could potentially invade the privacy of citizens. The Melbourne City Council today released a map of the 54 CCTV cameras placed in city trouble spots in a bid to deter and capture footage of violence. Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the cameras would be an important part of efforts by the council and Victoria Police to lessen city crime
In what researchers describe as the largest, most comprehensive analysis to date of cocaine contamination in banknotes, scientists are reporting that cocaine is present in up to 90 percent of paper money in the United States, particularly in large cities such as Baltimore, Boston, and Detroit. The scientists found traces of cocaine in 95 percent of the banknotes analysed from Washington, DC, alone
A campaign has been launched to win a posthumous apology for computer pioneer Alan Turing over his conviction for homosexuality. The brilliant mathematician, who spent his key years at Manchester University, is hailed as one of the founders of modern computing. But a conviction for homosexuality effectively ended his career. Troubled Turing went on to commit suicide in 1954, aged just 41. Now a group of admirers of the scientist — named as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century by Time Magazine — are lobbying the government to make a posthumous apology
The first national broadband network rollout, in Tasmania, will cost an estimated $20,000 for each premises that takes up the superfast internet connection — and business leaders say its impact may be minimal. The Rudd and Bartlett governments, which are jointly undertaking the rollout, refuse to reveal the taxpayer-funded plan’s cost, business plan or an estimate of the take-up. However industry sources told The Australian that the take-up rate had been estimated at 17 per cent of the 200,000 target premises — homes and businesses
At the Chongqing Children’s Palace, experts are hoping to revolutionise child-rearing with the help of science. About 30 children aged 3 to 12 years old and their parents are participating in a new program that uses DNA testing to identify genetic gifts and predict the future
There’s a disturbing new development in Australia. A law proposal was disclosed to the public that would get ISPs to spy on the contents of all communications to monitor for compliance. Presumably, the amendments would get Australian ISPs to monitor their networks for p2p activity and hand all their information to copyright holders
Chinese officials appear to have retreated from their controversial plan to install an internet filtering system on computers in the country. The industry and information technology minister, Li Yizhong, said today that the notion that the Green Dam programme would be required on every new computer was a misunderstanding
spawned by poorly written regulations
A landmark decision in Western Australia’s Supreme Court has given a Perth quadriplegic the right to refuse food from his care provider. Christian Rossiter, 49, was given the approval on the condition he understands the consequences of his actions. Mr Rossiter, who developed spastic quadriplegia after being hit by a car, says he is relieved by the court’s decision
Good news for television viewers with confirmation that Optus will launch its new satellite on 22 August by an Ariane-5 rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. Optus Satellite Paul Sheridan said, The Optus D3 Satellite will increase Optus’ total satellite capacity, support existing customers including Foxtel and Sky New Zealand and enable the development of new business opportunities for broadcast television and the direct-to-home market
. The satellite will enable more channels and features on Foxtel, including the capacity for more free to air channels to be made available to subscribers. Foxtel has previously touted 20 new channels by the end of the year, but now Foxtel’s Patrick Delany yesterday confirmed 20 SD plus 10 HD channels
Come September, some customers of Australian Capital Territory internet service provider TransACT will be able to select a 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload broadband service. The data charges alone, excluding charges that any of the 11 ISPs that can deliver services across its network, will be $89.95 per month
Whistleblower web site Wikileaks has published in full the Vodafone/2degrees story censored earlier this week by the New Zealand Commerce Commission. Wikileaks has provided several links to access the full story, from countries outside New Zealand, including Sweden, US, Finland, the Netherlands and Tonga. The organisation said that the file it had made available for download directly affects the country’s telecommunications regulations
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