The Internet is Not Just for the 20-Something

73-year-old Man Takes on Ebay with a 1920's Style Live Auction and Auctions off $100 Bills

It may seem like a crazy idea, but at 73 years old Donald Karr is taking on Internet giants like Ebay by starting a live auction site where users pick up paddles, listen to
auctioneers cry out and find out immediately if they have won. To prove it isn't a crazy idea, Karr will be auctioning off $100 bills everyday so users can get acquainted with the how-to's of his live auction.

Contrasting the young entrepreneurs who have found success on the Internet, like the developers of Facebook and MySpace Karr is proving that the internet is for everyone. Karr, a retired antique and jewelry dealer, recently launched his 24-hour a day, old-fashioned, live internet auction called Blackwells Live Auction.com. www.BlackwellsLiveAuction.com

Time Warner to test Internet billing based on usage

Time Warner Cable Inc said on Wednesday it is planning a trial to bill high-speed Internet subscribers based on their amount of usage rather than a flat fee, the standard industry practice.

The second largest U.S. cable operator said it will test consumption-based billing with subscribers in Beaumont, Texas later this year as a part of a strategy to help reduce congestion of its network by a minority of consumers who pay the same monthly fee as light users.

The company believes the billing system will impact only heavy users, who account for around 5 percent of all customers but typically use more than half of the total network bandwidth, according to a company spokesman.

Slowing network congestion due to downloading of large media files such as video is a growing problem for Time Warner Cable. The company said the problem will worsen as video downloading becomes more popular.

Hackers target Black Friday

Experts have warned that hackers are preparing to step up their activities to target online holiday shoppers, reports PC World.

The Friday after Thanksgiving, known to retailers as Black Friday, will mark the start of a shopping free-for-all, but will also be the signal to cyber criminals to augment their efforts, Secure Computing has warned. Black Friday is followed by what has been deemed Cyber Monday, when thousands of Americans shop online for gifts from their places of work.

Paul Henry, vice president of strategic accounts at Secure Computing, told PC World: "The holiday season in general is a huge time for hackers ... [and] Black Friday is typically the start. "This year, my biggest concern for consumers is all the web-borne malware out there." He added that online consumers should be especially wary of unsolicited emails which advertise amazing shopping deals. These are often just bait, created by cyber criminals. For more information on digital products and services visit Broadband National.

Cyber Monday kicks off spending

This holiday season is set to see a horde of online shoppers purchase their Christmas gifts over the internet and it is all to start in a week, on so-called Cyber Monday.

The Monday after Thanksgiving is the traditional start of the holiday spending scramble and many online retailers have waited until now to offer their best deals. Scott Silverman, Executive Director of Shop.org, said: "As more people rely on the internet for holiday shopping, retailers have stepped up their game to compete.

"This year, promotions on Cyber Monday are extremely competitive as online retailers use an assortment of one-day specials to send shoppers online."
Currently over half of US homes have access to broadband internet and the popularity of online shopping has increased yearly of late. A poll, commissioned by Shop.org and carried out by BIGresearch, found that 54.5 percent of office workers with internet access intended on shopping from work in the coming weeks.

Verizon presents NFL from new angle

American football aficionados who receive video and broadband services from Verizon may be interested to know that the company has introduced a new service, aimed at enhancing their viewing experience.

NFL Network Game Extra will provide virtual control room facilities, which will allow the viewer to control the camera angles they view the action from when they watch live online broadcasts on Thursdays and Saturdays. Other features provided with the new service include the ability to access game statistics and video highlights on demand, plus a chat function.

Bill Heilig, vice president of consumer broadband product development at Verizon, believes the new service will result in "the best NFL experience this year" for viewers. They will be able to "expand their already rich television viewing through a highly interactive, online experience that gives them unprecedented control over what they see and hear on the field", he claims.

Wi-Fi poaching spreading

There are an increasing number of instances of Internet users piggybacking onto other people's Wi-Fi networks, a security company has warned.

A full 54 percent of internet users admit to having used someone else's connection at least once, a survey from Sophos revealed. Many of those who have a wireless network have failed to secure it through passwords and encryption, the security software company warned. By not securing one's network, one leaves oneself open to hackers who are able to steal passwords and other confidential information. Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at Sophos, said: "Stealing Wi-Fi internet access may feel like a victimless crime, but it deprives ISPs of revenue. "Furthermore, if you've hopped onto your next door neighbors' wireless broadband connection to illegally download movies and music from the net, chances are that you are also slowing down their internet access."

By poaching one's neighbor's Internet connection, one may also be adversely affecting their download limit, added Mr Cluley.

Europeans favor internet over TV

Young Europeans are likely to spend more time on the internet during the week than in front of the television, according to a new survey from the European Interactive Advertising Association.

The survey showed that approximately 60 per cent of Europeans can now access the internet. And now there are 12 percent more over-55s using the internet and eight percent more women, the research discovered. Alison Fennah, the executive director of the EIAA, told the Associated Press: "Our Mediascope study shows consumers are using the internet for function and fun as their media world becomes truly digital." A full 82 percent of young people in Europe report getting on the internet at least five days per week and overall 42 percent of users log on to a social networking site at least once per month.

The survey also found that the vast majority - 80 percent - of Europeans use broadband to connect to the internet.

Internet 'a weapon'

The newly-appointed UN counter-terrorism chief has warned that the internet is effectively being used as a weapon by terrorists, reports Reuters.

Mike Smith said that terrorists around the world can use the internet as a place to organize and communicate. For this reason the internet must be much more closely monitored by the UN and individual nations' security outfits, he added.

Mr Smith told the news service: "The internet is a real worry and I don't think we've found the answer yet. "In the old days extremists used to have to cross borders to plan and attack sites. Nowadays a lot of that stuff can happen on the internet, they can give instructions, they can coordinate, they can recruit through these jihadi websites."

An international campaign against using the internet for militant purposes must be initiated by the UN, Mr Smith added. Meanwhile, the list of terrorism suspects that the UN and the EU keeps includes the names of people who are entirely innocent, the Council of Europe's legal committee has said.

Microsoft unveils Windows Live

On Tuesday Microsoft made its Windows Live Suite available for download off the Internet for the first time.

The product consists of a group of internet applications which includes photo sharing, instant messenger, a family web-browsing application, email and so forth. Windows Live also has a range of built-in security features, according to Microsoft, that will protect users surfing the internet.

Sumeet Khanna, director of Windows Live, MSN Canada, said: "With these enhancements to Windows Live, we're integrating cool, new experiences with digital photos, event planning and sharing and web publishing with our popular services like Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger, and Windows Live Spaces." Now users will be able to bundle their online networks together and have a single user name and password, Mr Khanna added.

Microsoft's overall goal is to make its Windows Live product so advanced that users can perform all their desired internet-related tasks through it.

Google talks to phone giants

Internet search engine giant Google is reportedly in talks with both Sprint and Verizon about putting its software on mobile phones.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that talks between the companies are at an advanced stage. By entering into the wireless world, Google would have a new arena for its advertising. It already holds a dominant position in the lucrative sector of online advertising. Avi Greengart, an analyst for Current Analysis, told Reuters: "If Google is going to make a splash, it's going to have to say (to operators) 'offer our phone and we'll share the revenue'."

According to the report in the Wall Street Journal there will be an announcement in the next two weeks that "GPhone" software will be available to consumers by mid-2008. However, others have said that a deal with mobile operators is still a long way off. Use of other carriers' mobile networks is key to any Google wireless plans.

MySpace and Zazzle Sign Custom On-Demand Music Merchandise Deal

Partnership Enables More Than 6 Million Musicians and Bands on MySpace to Sell Unlimited Merchandise Without Any Up-Front Production Costs or Inventory Risks

MySpace, the world's most popular social network, announced today a music merchandise deal with Zazzle, the only on-demand retail platform to offer billions of retail quality, one-of a kind products shipped within 24 hours. The distribution partnership will empower the more than 6 million musicians and bands on MySpace to sell unlimited music merchandise to the MySpace community instantly. The announcement also underscores MySpace's commitment to offer tools and services to the music industry that benefit artists and consumers alike.

Starting today, musicians and bands on MySpace will be able to create products and sell merchandise by putting the Zazzle Merch Booth widget on their MySpace profile. With Zazzle's new "Model Realview" technology, these artists can display their very own branded merchandise three dimensionally, on real models in their profile. The Zazzle Merch Booth widget will also enable placement of the artist's merchandise in a Zazzle gallery, their own websites, fan sites, blogs and more. MySpace users can also use Zazzle to create their own custom items for their favorite musicians and bands.

"MySpace will continue to evolve its industry leading music platform by developing new revenue models, partner integrations, and features that bring bands and fans together," Amit Kapur, VP of Business Development for MySpace. "Zazzle's on demand platform will enable music artists on MySpace to share merchandise with fans like never before."

Woman gets revenge over the internet

A woman in Connecticut has been charged with harassment and breach of peace after attempting to take revenge on her ex-boyfriend through the internet.

Pilar Stofega, 34, made up profiles of her ex-boyfriend's wife on an adult website and supplied her phone number and address. She also posted an old high school picture of the wife. Her intention was to break up the marriage, police have alleged. When strange men started calling the house, the man who had dated Stofega eight years ago did some online research and realized who was behind the plot.

After he gave Stofega's name to the police, she was arrested and admitted to being behind the profiles. She has been released on a $2,500 bond. The Associated Press quotes court documents as saying that Stofega enacted the plot in order to "be vindictive, knowing that the profiles would create marital problems."

Sprint Nextel commits to WiMax

Communication giant Sprint Nextel has publicly restated that it will continue expanding its WiMax offerings.

The company's newly-elected chief executive, Paul Saleh, recently told USA Today that the ultimate goal is to build a nationwide WiMax network, allowing users to roam freely and still have internet access. Though Sprint's WiMax service, called Xohm, was largely the idea of the company's former chief executive Gary Forsee, it appears as if Sprint is sticking with it. Of the WiMax service, Mr Saleh told the paper: "This is where the market is going." Mr Forsee was ousted from the company following complaints from customers about poor service and the company generally experiencing a slowdown.

In order to build the ambitious nationwide network, Sprint is to collaborate with the WiMax company Clearwire. When it is initially rolled out Xohm is to cover Chicago, Washington and Baltimore, but plans are in place for a rapid expansion following that.

Comcast denies blocking file sharing

Comcast has denied widespread reports that it routinely blocks its customers from accessing file-sharing applications.

While it does use bandwidth management which can result in delays for those using peer-to-peer networks, it never blocks applications outright, the company contended. The Associated Press has reported that it carried out tests which found that Comcast does actually block certain applications such as BitTorrent.

Steve Bannerman, who works at the network intelligence company Narus, told Reuters: "US ISPs are not preventing anybody from getting to the applications, but they are preventing some users of P2P services from hogging all the bandwidth and slowing down the experience for other users." Many have seen the reported blocking of applications as a violation of net neutrality regulations.

BitTorrent is mainly seen as a way to download copyrighted songs and movies, however it is also used for other more legitimate applications.

ISP 'blocks internet traffic'

Customers of Comcast that use high speed internet could be having some of their activities blocked by the internet service provider (ISP) it has been reported.

Specifically file-sharing activities are sometimes interfered with, widespread reports have alleged. A test carried out by the Associated Press found that the reports were true. This violation of net neutrality regulations is presumably so those doing large amounts of file sharing are not gobbling up other users' bandwidth.

Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas told the Associated Press: "We have a responsibility to manage our network to ensure all our customers have the best broadband experience possible. "This means we use the latest technologies to manage our network to provide a quality experience for all Comcast subscribers." Among the activities that Comcast blocks is using BitTorrent, which is widely seen as a way to illegally download music and films. However, BitTorrent is also used for other more legitimate purposes.

High speed internet for Trump properties

Verizon will soon be providing Donald Trump's properties at United Nations Plaza and Trump Park Avenue with its FiOS internet service, offering residents in the Trump World Tower new facilities.

Internet access at speeds of up to 50 megabits per second can be provided by the technology and it is delivered via an advanced digital all-fiber-optic network. Trump Organization chairman and president Donald Trump said: "Trump properties are known for offering the finest in both services and amenities. Having Verizon FiOS services delivered on fiber optics to my buildings continues that high standard of excellence I demand.

"We know our residents will appreciate our foresight in getting them the best in telecommunications services from Verizon." He added that he is currently working with Verizon to bring FiOS to all of his properties. Verizon announced earlier this week that residents of the 1,416-unit Eastchester Heights apartment complex in the Bronx can now benefit from the company's FiOS internet service.

Mozilla unveils ambitious mobile plans

Internet company Mozilla has revealed plans to make its Firefox browser work just as well on mobile devices as it does on the internet.

Those using Mobile Firefox will be able to use tools like bookmarks, history, extensions and many other implements usually not found on mobile browsers. Mozilla, which is based in Mountain View, California, has said that it will hire a new team of experts to focus solely on mobile applications for the browser. Mike Schroepfer, Mozilla's vice-president of engineering wrote in his blog on Tuesday, "People ask us all the time about what Mozilla's going to do about the mobile web and I'm very excited to announce that we plan to rock it.

"We are serious about bringing the Firefox experience and technology to mobile devices." Mozilla will be "a great platform" for mobile devices, Mr Schroepfer added. The company released Firefox 2.0 on October 25th 2006.

Permanent ban on Internet taxes urged by eBay

The internet auction giant eBay has urged Congress to pass a permanent ban on Internet taxes. Without such a ban, fewer businesses will want to sell their goods and services over the Internet, eBay warned. Congress enacted a temporary ban on Internet taxes in 1998, which was renewed again in 2004. However, that ends on November 1st this year.

Brian Bieron, eBay's senior director of federal government relations, told the Associated Press: "More importantly, fewer consumers will use the internet. "And, for the small businesses using the internet, that means fewer sales and less opportunity to compete with the mega retailers." The Internet is a "lifeline" for many of these smaller businesses, Mr Bieron added.

Last month a trio of US senators also called on Congress to pass a permanent ban on Internet taxes. Among them was Arizona senator John McCain, who is bidding to be the Republican presidential nominee.

Miss America aims to ensure internet safety for kids

A new internet browser sponsored by Miss America - Lauren Nelson - is to debut today, it has been reported.

The purpose of the browser is to keep children safe on the internet by steering them away from dangerous websites. Since becoming Miss America, Nelson has made internet safety for children her main platform, stemming from a distasteful experience she had on the internet as a young girl.

She recounted: "We were chatting with people we didn't know, which was our first mistake, and someone asked for our personal information. "A week later, he sent some inappropriate pictures to one of my friends. We were all scared and told our parents, who contacted the authorities." Dubbed the Miss America Kid-Safe Web Browser, the browser has an animated version of Nelson who "supervises" childrens' surfing and can even read their email out loud to them.

Microsoft Unveils Pricing for Small Biz VoIP System

By Jennifer Hagendorf Follett, CMP Channel

While solution providers anxiously await the release of Microsoft's unified communications product portfolio later this month, the company in the meantime is making strides to bring its small business VoIP wares to market.

Microsoft on Tuesday said it has released its Response Point phone system to manufacturing, meaning that OEM partners D-Link and Quanta Computer will soon have general availability for products based on the software. Microsoft also said both partners will be pricing their products below $3,000.

Microsoft joins vendors such as 3Com, Cisco Systems and Digium in recently targeting VoIP systems at small businesses.

The systems, which include VoIP call processing and features such as voicemail, call forwarding and integration with Microsoft Outlook, are targeted at small-business customers with up to 50 users, though they will scale higher, said Jeff Smith, senior product manager at Microsoft, Redmond, Wash.

Microsoft's small business VoIP move comes two weeks ahead of the planned launch of Microsoft's Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007 and other communications products at a launch event in San Francisco on October 16. Smith noted that Response Point systems were built from the ground up as small business solutions and are not designed to work as branch office systems off of larger OCS deployments.

Two OEM partners, D-Link and Quanta, are preparing to ship product bundles within the next few months that package Microsoft software with their base hardware units, gateways and phones.