August 23, 2002 - August 28, 2002
News - August 28,2002
BT Hampers Users Changing Telco
By:mark.j @ 1:50:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Telco Global Communications (TGC) has filed an official complaint with Oftel, the UKs telecoms watchdog, accusing BT of attempting to dissuade customers from changing to an alternative provider:
TGC claims that BT has misused the Carrier Pre-Selection (CPS) service set up by Oftel to allow users to switch providers without changing from their BT line or dialling prefix numbers.
The company said that its customers had their applications to change providers cancelled by BT without their consent, and that BT allegedly used misinformation and intimidation to stop customers leaving.
TGC claimed that in some cases customers had been told that transferring to another operator using the CPS system would cause problems with broadband connections, and that once the switch is made it cannot be undone.
No doubt this explains why the man in the 'Reconnect to BT' advert on TV is so scared of talking to them =). BT has yet to respond to the allegations, more @ VNUNet. |
BT Spots DSL Pre-Registration Cheats
By:mark.j @ 1:42:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] We can't imagine why anybody should want to cheat BT Wholesales wonderful ADSL pre-registration system *cough*, yet apparently that's just what happened.
ADSLGuide is reporting that BT and some ISPs have removed a few of the registrations on the Todmorden and Westhoughton exchanges after they were found to be bogus:
To that effect the Service Providers involved have withdrawn the bogus registrations from the BT system - which gives Todmorden 152 registrations and Westhoughton just 96 now. These changes have not yet made it through to the public system, which is invariably a few hours behind the internal systems at BT.
BT is likely to be accused of fiddling the figures to ensure no exchanges hit the trigger point, but to anyone who saw the massive jumps these two exchanges exhibited must agree it looked very likely that someone with a phonebook and multiple email accounts was at work.
Unfortunately such activity doesn't help anybody because 75% of orders need to be fully confirmed before the exchange is upgraded. |
New UK Instant Messaging Software
By:mark.j @ 9:26:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] UPDATE: There's been a slight delay to the service, although it should start coming online within the next day or so.
Zeed Search and JMR Hosting have today informed us of a new partnership they've begun to deliver UK Internet users UKMessenger, a new messaging service geared toward everyone in the UK:
UKMessenger - Instant Messaging for the UK Announced
For years, many people where faced by the Instant Messenger craze but where limited to choice between MSN, ICQ or AOL's AIM but now Zeed Search and JMR Hosting bring the UK users UKMessenger. A New service with new technology set to rival many of the 'BIG GUYS' which will bring a new revolution to UK Chatters and with features of all three of the major Instant Messengers rolled into one and our own service we believe this is one of the best ways to chat to your friends.
UKMessenger is a free download and free to use and will be available on our website in its current version with updates automatically done in the background ensuring you have the latest version of our software available.
Zeed Search has been running for over three years now and operates a Pay Per Click service which can be found at http://www.zeed.co.uk .
JMR Hosting is a high quality webhosting provider in the UK servicing clients worldwide with Website Hosting, Domain Registration and Dedicated Servers. http://www.jmr-hosting.uk.com.
You can find the site for the service here:
http://www.ukmessenger.com |
Hydro-Electric Powerline Broadband Trial
By:mark.j @ 9:18:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Powerline technology, the process of delivering a broadband connection similar to DSL via a homes power line (hence the name), has received a new lease of life thanks to Scottish Hydro-Electric.
The service, spotted by one of our readers (shaun), is under trial and offering a speed of 1Mbit-ps (we think):
Scottish Hydro-Electric are launching a trial scheme which brings broadband to Crieff and Campbeltown for the first time, and we want to invite you to be a part of it.
It�s amazing but really simple - our Broadband system brings the world of the web right to your power sockets through your existing electricity cable. Simply plug in the Broadband modem. There�s no need for new wires, cables or phone lines and you can use your PC and your phone at the same time.
It works like this.......
- all the benefits of a real broadband service
- free connection
- use your PC in any room
- round the clock access to the web
- best value broadband package available
- �25 per calendar month inclusive of VAT. This rate is fixed until 31st December 2003, as the trial period has received funding support from the DTI UK Broadband Fund; Scottish Enterprise Tayside and Perth & Kinross Council.
- no connection fee will be charged
Now we'd like to remind everybody that this is only for those covered by said operator and is the second such �active� trial of Powerline technology in the UK; that we're aware of.
Despite this it's important to know that Powerline has a number of regulatory problems and issues with interference that make it difficult to deliver. Do not expect anything big from such a technology; at least not before a few more years have passed. |
Nominet Whois Privacy Concerns
By:rich @ 9:12:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The .uk domain registry Nominet is to publish more of domain holders information on its own whois database. Only the address will be shown and individuals can opt-out of the system:
Nominet responds to privacy concerns
Following concerns raised about its plans to publish the names and addresses of those who register .uk domain names (web addresses), Nominet UK has announced further measures to protect the privacy of individuals.
Individuals not wishing to have their address shown in Nominet's free on-line search facility (known as WHOIS) will be able to take advantage of an opt-out mechanism, which will mean that anyone looking up the domain name will be referred to the relevant ISP for further details. However, in line with UK legislation, the opt-out will only apply to non-trading individuals.
The revised WHOIS format will go live in two stages. From 1 October, the name of all registrants (domain name holders) will be published, together with the date on which the domain name is due for renewal and the name and web address of the registration agent (ISP). However, only domain names registered for those classified as businesses will show the address of the registrant at that stage.
From 1 December addresses will be published for all new registrations and existing domain names as they are renewed thereafter, unless the opt-out for non-trading individuals is activated by the registrant via their ISP or registration agent. This will apply irrespective of which Second Level Domain (including .co.uk, where the majority of .uk domain names are registered) the domain name falls under.
At no stage will telephone and fax numbers or email addresses be included for either businesses or individuals.
"While the principle of improving the scope of the WHOIS search facility remains, we have changed our plans to take account of the concerns expressed," said Lesley Cowley, managing director of Nominet UK, the national Registry for .uk domain names. "We would like to thank all those who contributed to this discussion for their input." |
More Adverts For NTL Broadband Users
By:mark.j @ 9:07:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] DigitalSpy reports that users of NTLs cable modem services may or may not like to know that they've extended an agreement to deliver interactive adverts to subscribers across their broadband network.
The deal, which uses Real Media Europe's OpenAdStream platform, could last up to two years:
Following on from a trial between the two companies, the two-year deal will see NTL using the technology to deliver adverts over its two-way broadband network rather than over one-way broadcast streams. This, it claims, will allow it to better measure ROI in advertising across its digital TV platform, electronic programme guide, interactive games and email.
NTL currently claims to have over 1m digital TV subscribers, and around 300,000 customers connected to its broadband network - 37% of the market. |
BTWholesales New ADSL Campaign
By:mark.j @ 9:03:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] ADSLGuide is reporting that BT Wholesale has finally begun a four week campaign to advertise their broadband ADSL pre-registration system and it�s about time too.
The advert, which has a headline of "COME ON BRITAIN, WE KNOW YOU WANT IT.", has already started to appear in a number of mainstream newspapers.
The promotion then links to THIS website, which in turn takes you to BTs pre-registration page. With any luck this will increase pre-registration levels and help to get some exchanges enabled sooner rather than later. |
26 Million Global Broadband Connections
By:mark.j @ 8:54:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Figures collated by Point Topic show that the number of households and businesses worldwide with broadband Internet connections has soared to a staggering 26 Million.
Not surprisingly South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong still top the league, yet unfortunately and despite recent growth, the UK has continued to stay out of the top 20:
Worldwide growth of 36 per cent during the past six months has added 6.8 million subscribers to the global total, according to figures collated by Point Topic, a DSL industry analyst firm, and released at the DSL Forum Summit in London today.
The Asia Pacific region accounts for the greatest market share with 42 per cent of the world's broadband DSL subscribers. North America is second with 26 per cent and Europe is coming up fast on the rails with 25 per cent.
In a statement, William Rodey, chairman of the DSL Forum, said: "It is exciting to see that South Korea has already reached mass market status with DSL operating on 26.14 per cent of all phone lines. The rest of the world is fast moving in the same direction towards our global mass market target of 200 million DSL broadband subscribers by 2005."
It's hoped that Europe�s growth rate of over 50% continues, that way the EU would be able to overtake the USA, although no doubt the UK would still remain in a lower position. The Silicon item has the top 20 as follows:
1. South Korea
2. Taiwan
3. Hong Kong
4. Belgium
5. Canada
6. Denmark
7. Germany
8. Singapore
9. Japan
10. Sweden
11. Finland
12. Estonia
13. Spain
14. Austria
15. Norway
16. Israel
17. USA
18. Switzerland
19. France
20. Netherlands |
News - August 27,2002
Quik Internet ISP Confirms Price Cut
By:mark.j @ 4:09:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Unmetered dialup ISP Quik Internet has today confirmed our 'unofficial' report last week in which we speculated on a possible reduction in price to their off-peak package:
As you unofficially posted last week about a pending price change, we are now officially dropping our single channel off peak* unmetered service to a fantastic �8.99 per month inclusive.
Since you reported this it seems that customers from the recently suspended AlphaPhe are looking for an off peak service. The reason we have dropped our price is that we have lots of spare off peak capacity, although the 128K off peak service is flying out the door, we decided we needed to be more competitive for the single channel users.
Hopefully we can fill some port space by dropping the price and at the same time giving a great service to off peak users all @ 10:1 contention. Sign up online or contact the office.
*Off peak hours are 6pm - 8am Mon - Fri and 6pm Fri to 8am Mon. |
Cheaper MMS Could Help Mobiles
By:mark.j @ 3:05:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Research firm the Yankee Group has today stated that one way to improve the mobile phone industries prospects would be to have more "attractively priced" MMS (picture messaging) handsets:
Describing 2001 as an "unquestionably disappointing year" for the industry, Yankee Group director of wireless/mobile Europe, Declan Lonergan said: "In the second half of 2002 and 2003, the wireless industry's preoccupation with transport technologies must give way to greater emphasis on device features that will act as a catalyst for new services. The introduction of mid-range camera phones in conjunction with attractively priced MMS handsets will be particularly important."
Yankee has also identified three major upgrade cycles that will take place over the next two years. Firstly, consumers will be lured into upgrading their phones by colour screens and MMS; secondly, the introduction of cameras will encourage further growth, followed by the launch of handsets with moving image capabilities, marking the third phase of the upgrade cycle.
The netimperative.info item offers a somewhat more positive outlook of ideas than we're use to, although cutting costs is likely to be the last thing on the minds of most operators. |
PIPEX Complaints Continue - Boss Happy
By:mark.j @ 2:53:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] In being the bank holiday weekend we missed our 7 day round up of the latest complaints against the troubled dialup and broadband ISP PIPEX.
Thankfully we haven't forgotten (*cough* thanks for the reminders =]), yet today is somewhat different because, thanks in part to the launch of PipexWoe (unofficial consumer site for PIPEX customers), one website has at least done what we've been trying to do for weeks, get a reply out of PIPEX.
Today The Register published an item on PipexWoe, yet through some kind of miracle that we've yet to see, got a reply from PIPEX boss David Rickards in the same item! Yes they do respond, but apparently not to the sites highlighting their problems:
Today, Mr Rickards told The Register that things had improve dramatically and that he was "extremely happy" with the broadband business.
"It's under control," he said. He also promised to keep an eye on the Pipexwoe site adding that it could provide useful feedback for the company.
Just to remind people, the ADSL service has improved for 'some' and there seems little doubting that, yet we've mostly been covering the unmetered dialup issues and NOT broadband. ADSLGuide usually handles that end.
So without further delay here's a couple of the latest complaints against PIPEX, hot from the last few days:
--------------------------
I applied for Pipex ADSL 4 months ago. I received their confirmation and they gave me a connection date for 7th June.
My connection was not working on 7th and following 3 weeks. In that three weeks I called them many times and they all told me the issue was with BT. After second week they told me connection was working, which did not. On every call I made I needed to dial many times just to get into the queue, most of the time I got a busy signal. And in the queue minimum-waiting time was half an hour. On my last call after three weeks I the technical service told me they did not know what was wrong and they couldn't tell me when it will be fixed then I asked for cancellation of my application and full refund of my money he said no problem and asked me to write a letter and fax it to them for cancellation process.
My story starts here. I sent the fax, a week later I called because I was charged again by PIPEX for another months subscription fee. The Customer care representative did not have any information on my wanting to cancel or asking for a refund. She impudently told me to talk to the technical support and without listening me put me in the tech support queue, which I waited for another 20 minutes. And the same story with the tech support all over again. I agreed them to connect me to customer care again and waited for another 20-25 minutes on the phone for finally being able to speak to customer care again. She (Philippa was her name) told me to send a fax again to them, which I did.
I called back and this time ask for Philippa 3 days later, hoping she received my fax. No she did not. She had no idea what I was talking about it was like I have never spoken to her before. [Ed - This messages goes on into some detail, so we'll cut it there..]
E-Mail By Murat
--------------------------
The problems have now been going on for months. Disconnections - I had seven or eight in a row today within 30 minutes, then when I got some service nothing was responding (I'm on 1:3 unmetered). Numerous incoming emails have seemingly vanished into thin air. Support email requests submitted are never answered even weeks afterwards. Customer service is not responding to emails. Nobody ever answers the phone.
And it all went wrong when they started offering consumer adsl cheap. Big mistake that.
E-Mail By Phil
--------------------------
So it's good to see that PIPEXs boss is "extremely happy" with the service, although unfortunately that can't be said for a growing number of customers.
We just spent 1 hour trying to contact support again, only to have the line cut off as we've experienced before. So just how do you get a reply out of PIPEX? |
BT Expands Cornwall ADSL Project
By:mark.j @ 2:29:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] BT Group has today updated their site to announce the major expansion of Cornwall's rural broadband project, Actnow:
MAJOR EXPANSION OF PIONEERING CORNWALL PROJECT
More than 1,000 businesses and households have signed up for broadband at the six BT exchanges in Truro, St Austell, Redruth, Camborne, Newquay and Penzance already equipped with the latest ADSL technology.
Now, with orders running at more than 50 per week, the Actnow private and public sector partnership has confirmed that the next major stage of the project is about to begin. A further three BT exchanges - at Falmouth, Bodmin and Launceston - will be able to offer broadband services by September 19.
Nigel Ashcroft, Actnow project director, said: "We are extremely pleased with the level of demand, which has allowed us to move to the next stage of the project. The success of Actnow shows the need for a project of this type and the determination of Cornwall to embrace and fully capitalise on the huge opportunities offered by broadband technology.
"If this level of enthusiasm is maintained, then there is every likelihood that a further phase of expansion will be possible by the end of the year. This will involve the enabling of four more exchanges at St Ives, Bude, Saltash and Penryn.
The project is a great learning process. Nothing quite like it has ever before been offered in the UK. As the project progresses, we are constantly reviewing and refining the products and services available to best meet the needs of Cornish businesses."
A huge variety of businesses, organisations and individuals have already taken delivery of ADSL broadband since the �12.5 million Actnow project, which has received �5.25 million of Objective One funding, was launched on April 24.
Phil Evans, Actnow project director for BT, one of the major partners in the pioneering scheme, said: "Above all, Actnow demonstrates that a committed and determined partnership of like-minded organisations can make a huge contribution to raising the awareness of the opportunities offered by broadband technology. The level of demand for broadband in Cornwall has been consistent with a much more densely populated urban area, which demonstrates how rapidly Cornish businesses are grasping the benefits of broadband technology."
Businesses are being invited to attend a major Actnow showcase event at the Falmouth Beach Hotel, Falmouth, on Thursday September 19. Firms wishing to attend or to simply find out more information about Actnow should call the Actnow office on 01209 722850 or visit www.actnowcornwall.co.uk.
The Actnow package for small and medium businesses includes pre and post sales advice and support, a range of computer equipment and broadband connection options to suit the needs of individual businesses, financial support through an EU-funded rebate and privileged members' access to the Actnow website.
Companies can already register an interest in ordering a broadband connection at Falmouth, Bodmin and Launceston by contacting Actnow on 01209 722850 or visiting http://www.actnowcornwall.co.uk
Now if only there were much more of these schemes. |
Mozilla Web Browser Updated - v1.1
By:mark.j @ 2:17:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Another close competitor for Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser, the open-source Mozilla project, has just hit version 1.1 and can be downloaded HERE.
There's a long list of changes and improvements, such as..:
* Improved application and layout performance
* Improved stability
* Improved Web site compatibility
* Improved CSS, DOM and HTML standards support#
* etc.
Note that a final (non-beta) release of Mozilla is often followed by something similar from the Mozilla based and AOL owned Netscape browser. We'd expect Netscape v7 to be released soon. |
Zipcom Helps Schools Go Wireless
By:mark.j @ 1:48:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Abingdon, a school in Oxfordshire, has chosen Zipcoms broadband wireless service (HighwayWireless) to help deliver their Internet access.
Abingdon School goes wireless with Zipcom
Staff and students at Oxfordshire based Abingdon School are benefiting from fast reliable and accessible Internet access, having chosen Zipcom�s HighwayWireless to provide wireless Internet connectivity services.
Zipcom is providing the school with a 2Mbps high-speed broadband wireless (microwave) connection used by students for accessing their individual email accounts and Internet project research as well as by staff researching teaching materials, downloading exam results and keeping abreast of curriculum developments.
Unlike a leased line Internet connection that is susceptible to disruption, the diversely routed wireless Internet service provides �always available� connections. It also operates on an automatic fail over system so comes on stream instantaneously when used in conjunction with a leased line connection. Furthermore, because HighwayWireless� broadband capacity is easily scaled up, the service will grow with the school�s future requirements.
David Haynes, head of IT, Abingdon School comments, �With the Government encouraging schools to integrate Internet use into the curriculum, Abingdon School needed a reliable connection that could cope with a number of students actively using the Internet simultaneously. We also have a number of foreign boarders that have their own email addresses to contact their families whenever they want.
Our old ISDN connection led to accounting problems when we tried to apportion the bill between the budgets of the various departments who had been using the Internet. Zipcom�s HighwayWireless service means we have a flat fee no matter how much time we spend on the Internet, so we have been able to incorporate the costs into our budget in advance.�
To take advantage of HighwayWireless, schools/businesses need to be situated in direct line of site and within a radius of 10km of one of Zipcom�s radioPoPs (Point of Presence) - an access point to the Internet. Dispelling the misconceptions about installing a wireless connection Haynes comments, �I was surprised by how small the microwave dish was, only 25cm square, totally unobtrusive on the outside of the building, but the Zipcom installers actually managed to hide it completely inside the bell tower. The connection is unaffected by fog, rain and snow.�
Bandwidth capacity can be increased at just 24 hours notice � a flexibility not available from a traditional leased line Internet connection. The minimum bandwidth capacity with the wireless service is 2Mbps and goes up to 155Mbps.
Zipcom�s services are backed by a comprehensive Service Level Agreement (SLA) and customers are offered a dedicated account manager, providing a single point of contact for all enquiries. |
BTOpenworld & The Techno Parade 2002
By:mark.j @ 1:42:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] BTOpenworld has today announced that their music portal, dotmusic, which is apparently the largest in Europe, is to be the official event partner for the 2002 European Techno Parade:
DOTMUSIC OFFICIAL TECHNO PARADE WEBSITE
UK music website, dotmusic, has announced today it is the official partner for the Techno Parade 2002, France's biggest dance music event which attracts over 350,000 people to party on the streets of Paris on Saturday 14 September.
This is the first time dotmusic, BT Openworld's music site, has been involved in the parade, which is the
As part of the official program dotmusic will also launch the first ever 'technoboat', a two week series of free boat parties to be held on the Seine from Sunday 15 September. The dotmusic launch party will see the website take it's monthly London nightclub, d-train, to Paris and will feature a line up of top Parisian DJs, including DJ Cam, Kojak, and Cyril K, who will be joined by London based DJs Mr Fish and Ben Osborne.
The Electronic Rendezvous Festival takes place across the whole of France during September and includes hundreds of events at bars, galleries and cafes. Dotmusic will cover news from the festival plus video interviews with the stars of the French electronic and dance music scene such as Laurent Garnier, Air and Daft Punk.
The deal's announcement comes hot on the heels of dotmusic's launch of the official website for Creamfields festival. Creamfields, one of the most important dates on the UK dance calendar, took place on Saturday 24 August, and saw dotmusic provide live coverage of the event, with news and reviews being regularly updated from the festival throughout the day. The dotmusic Creamfields site will also be bringing news from international Creamfields events in Prague, Dublin and Buenos Aires.
Dotmusic was also the official on line partner for this year's Gatecrasher Summer Sound System, making Techno Parade its third partnership with a major music event in 2002.
Ben Drury, head of music at BT Openworld said :- "These two deals further cement dotmusic's position at the heart of the international music scene. As one of the top European music websites we are in a unique position to create the best event coverage and deliver real opportunities for brands to reach huge numbers of music fans online."
dotmusic is one of the most popular music websites in Europe with over 1.7million unique users visiting the site each month and more than 17million page impressions. It is part of the BT Openworld network of entertainment websites which also includes the UK's top computer games site, Games Domain. |
Mac-1 Update Broadband Satellite ISP
By:mark.j @ 1:37:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The Mac computer friendly UK ISP Mac-1 has been offering its Bridge Broadband (Isonetric etc.) based satellite service for sometime now.
Today Macworld has reported that the ISP is in the process of setting-up new premises where potential customers will be able to see the service at work.
Apparently they're also about to launch a new Mac-friendly Smile Broadband satellite broadband service, although no details are given:
The company's satellite broadband services will allow any UK company to connect to the Internet at speeds of up to 72 times faster than a modem, or 32 times faster than dual-channel ISDN. The company claims download speeds up to 4Mpbs are available.
Managing director Greg Hughes said: �Satellite broadband is not reliant on any telecommunications provider, so if your business is in a non-enabled exchange for ADSL, this is the perfect cost-effective broadband solution for you.�
We note that currently Isonetric/Bridge Broadband resellers tend to use the Eutelsat W1/2 (10/16E) satellite and require an 89cm dish.
However while checking Mac-1's technical information we noted that the dish size requirement is now 74cm (UK), which could indicate a change of satellite and thus service. Mind you this is all guess work and we'll try to investigate further. |
EMI Blames Share Fall On Net Piracy
By:mark.j @ 1:23:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Despite the fact that shares in music group EMI have been troubled for sometime now, that still hasn't stopped them from blaming Internet piracy on their latest fall.
Along with analyst data from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) showing a 7% drop in CD shipments, EMI believe that growing use of the Internet to download music is hitting its own CD shipments.
Shares in the music company led FTSE 100 share index fallers in early trading on Tuesday. They were down 3.9 percent at 184-1/2 pence by 10:42 a.m. in volume of more than one million shares, near a 52-week low for the stock of 180p.
One analyst described the fall in CD shipments as "quite disappointing" and said EMI would now find it difficult to meet forecasts of flat revenues for the year.
Hank Forsyth, a media analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, added that it was still unclear how much EMI could do to fight music piracy.
"EMI is addressing piracy in terms of hard copies and over the Internet as best they can, but it just remains to be seen how effective they can be," he said. "I think the jury is still out on whether they can stop people burning CDs for their friends."
So this would have nothing to do with the current lack of originality in the industry and the growing number of 'fabricated' so-called 'bands' purely for commercial gain?
No of course not, yet not everybody who downloads music is a pirate, many now do it through legitimate subscription services rather than buy a CD. With MP3 players getting cheaper, who could blame them? |
Internet Mobiles To Be Virus Targets
By:mark.j @ 9:38:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] 78% of Japanese consumers use modern mobile phones with Internet access capabilities, a feature that, like it or not, will ultimately become just as widespread in Europe.
Not surprisingly the Internet security firm Symantec has raised concerns that this could turn Internet compatible mobiles into the next big target for virus attacks:
So far, no serious virus attacks have been reported in Japan, or anywhere else, but security firms in the sector say mobile phones could become a target as they turn into sophisticated, high-tech devices like PCs, allowing users to send emails, surf the Internet and even shop online.
"I think all the devices that can be connected to the Internet are at risk... and cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are the most vulnerable ones," said Yuji Hoshizawa, a researcher for Symantec Japan, a Japanese unit of US Internet security firm Symantec. "It could happen any time," he added.
Hoshizawa said cell phones might get hit by a "Trojan horse" program erasing data on mobiles, or a worm that replicates itself over a network and performs malicious actions like shutting down handset software.
It's hard to know exactly what's likely to happen in the future, not least because some years ago there were similar predictions for PDA devices, yet they never came to much of anything.
Internet mobiles will of course be more 'connected', yet it shouldn't be too hard for operators to develop defensive options. More @ ZDNet. |
Revolution ISP Launches Free Webmail
By:mark.j @ 8:45:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The little know UK ISP that's apparently 90% owned by its members, Revolution, has today announced the launch of its new 10mb webmail service, which is free for the ISPs dial-up users:
The Revolution ISP Launches free 10mb Webmail service
Revolution ISP (the ISP that's 90% owned by its members) has launched a 10mb webmail service that is free for Revolution ISP dial-up users.
As well as providing a free service that Hotmail charge �19.99 per annum for Revolution ISP users should notice a refreshing lack of SPAM in relation to the competition.
When asked about their new offer Managing Director Richard Martin said today, "Yeah man, errh we thought it would be kinda cool like if we could like do webmail and that and like do it for free kinda thing so like we uhm just yeah."
When quizzed about the lack of broadband options for Revolution users he replied "Yeah we might get round to it sometime, but it seems like a lot of hassle man."
It's not clear if the MD is just trying to be hip with his language or whether he's just unable to write normally =). Perhaps PIPEX should adopt a similar tactic; at least it'd suit them. |
News - August 26,2002
EU Backs 3G Infrastructure Cost Sharing
By:mark.j @ 9:35:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The European Commission (EC) is set to back the sharing of UK 3G broadband wireless mobile phone operator�s infrastructure costs.
The first to benefit will be T-Mobile and mmO2 PLC, which hope to share the costs of building their UKI 3G infrastructure:
Clearance for the deal between the Deutsche Telekom AG unit and British Telecommunications PLC's former mobile arm follows indications that the Commission will approve a similar agreement between the two companies in Germany, the newspaper said.
A final decision will not be taken until a further month of consultations have taken place with the industry, but it is extremely rare for the commission to reverse its initial opinion.
The newspaper quoted a lawyer close to the issue as saying: "There is a recognition by the Commission that something has to be done for the mobile industry."
On the flip side and Ananova reports that Competition Commission Mario Monti's staff has reserved judgment on a proposal to share radio networks. |
BT Works On Fujitsu DSLAM Exchanges
By:mark.j @ 9:27:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The World of ADSL has kindly informed us of some work about to be carried out by BT's suppliers on exchanges that use Fujitsu DSLAMS:
Work is going to be carried out by BT's DSLAM suppliers on some of the telephone exchanges which use Fujitsu DSLAMS. The work will start on the 3rd September and is due to complete on the 10th September.
The job is going to be done in two parts:
Part 1: Upgrade the DSLAM Software; this will be carried out from the, 3rd September to the 6th September.
To View the List of Affect Exchanges and Running Order, visit the following URL http://www.world-of-adsl.com/fujitsudslam.html
Part 2: Upgrade the Line Card; this again will take 3 days and the work will be carried out on the 6th, 9th and 10th September.
To View the List of Affect Exchanges and Running Order, visit the following URL http://www.world-of-adsl.com/fujitsulinecard.html |
BTOpenwoe Launch Pipexwoe Site
By:mark.j @ 9:16:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Those behind the unofficial BTOpenworld consumer complaints site BTOpenwoe have now launched 'PipexWoe' and not a minute too soon:
PipexWoe has been formed in response to the growing number of problems facing Pipex as a Service Provider. This site aims to provide news and information for users, as well as giving them a chance to voice concerns (or give positive feedback) on the service.
http://www.pipexwoe.org.uk |
News - August 25,2002
ISP Review Weekly Update
By:mark.j @ 9:09:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Visitor numbers tend to drop slightly during mid-holiday season, as do news items, thus we've all been able to spend a little extra time enjoying the weather and working on future site changes.
Indeed this past week has seen some of the most intensive testing of our future 'Reader ISP Reviews' system to date. Now instead of having to deal with 8-10 bugs each week, we've got it down to one or two, with the latest update having just arrived (will test on Monday).
Providing all goes well a full public test will likely go ahead within the next week or two. Note that this will be a test of the features and system only because format, colours and layout will not be completed until the official launch. Making things look nice must always come last.
Once that's completed then the focus will switch to a more robust news system, a future forum change, improved ISP listings system and most importantly the next big re-design of ISP Review itself. More next week. |
HMV UK TO Offer Music Downloads
By:mark.j @ 8:52:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] On Demand Distribution (OD2), the group responsible for helping ISPs such as Freeserve and Tiscali offer an online music download service, is now about to do the same for HMV Group.
The music retailer is expected to launch the service sometime this coming week (early September) and will be designed to capitalise on the consumer craze for downloading music off the Internet.
The retailer will make nearly 100,000 tracks from such acts as Elvis Presley and Kylie Minogue, available to British users of its site.
Under the arrangement, users will pay a monthly subscription of �4.99 entitling them to a certain number of playbacks. They can also download the music to their computer hard drives or personal listening devices, the sources said. |
News - August 24,2002
Quik Internet ISP To Cut Off-Peak Price
By:mark.j @ 8:54:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] We heard on the unofficial grapevine today that unmetered dialup and broadband ADSL ISP Quik Internet could soon be dropping the price of its off-peak package from �9.99 to �8.99 (inc. VAT) per month.
The change could take place as early as next week, although in being unofficial news we can't be more accurate. |
Nominet U-Turns On Personal Details
By:mark.j @ 8:36:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] The UKs national registry for domain names, Nominet, has thankfully changed its plans to publish personal details of UK domain name holders on its WHOIS database:
The move is a victory for those who claimed the sweeping measures breached their personal privacy.
However, the climb-down is not universal and only applies to individuals whose Web site is used for personal, and not commercial use. Businesses will have no option but to have their details published online.
From October businesses with a .uk domain name will have their company or trading address published as a matter of course, although no telephone numbers or email addresses will be included.
The Register notes that the news rules will be effective for new registrations made from December 2002, while existing customers will have the chance to 'Opt-Out' when their domain requires its next renewal. |
News - August 23,2002
Dabs Launch Unmetered ISP Service
By:mark.j @ 3:57:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] One of our readers, Tony, has been quick to spot an update to the website of popular computer hardware and software retailer, Dabs.
If you can get past the incredibly annoying duck (would make a damn fine roast!) then you'll note an unmetered dialup service and broadband ADSL package, all of which looks eerily similar to PlusNETs design and that of some Affinity VISPs:
netspeed Self Install (ADSL):
25 POP3 email accounts
25MB Web Space
Webmail
Online Applications
Technical Support at local call rate
Manage your account online
FREE Website Wizard
Domain hosting
Minimum contract 1 month
�27.99 per month
�65 activation charge
Fixed cost 24/7 (dialup):
25 POP3 email accounts
25MB Web Space
Webmail
Online Applications
Technical Support at local call rate
Manage your account online
FREE Website Wizard
Domain hosting
Minimum contract 1 month
�15.99 per month
As with another recently launched service, the unmetered dialup offer is limited to 150MB of bandwidth per day and 20 hours per week of surfing. It's a pity such VISPs aren't made to look more original/independent from their supplier. |
E-Mail Virus Warning - Apher
By:mark.j @ 2:11:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Be on your guard for a new Russian E-Mail worm known as Apher, which includes a known Trojan horse program (Backdoor.Death.25) and provides an attacker access to the compromised computer:
Apher appears to be email from Microsoft announcing the arrival of new antivirus software from Kaspersky, a Russian antivirus company. The subject line reads: "Protect Your NetWare with KasperskyTM Anti-Virus". The Apher worm includes an attached file: "aaprices.exe".
Thanks to ZDNet for the warning and as usual make sure your E-Mail software has the latest security updates and that too goes for any Anti-Virus applications you may be running. |
One In Four Is Addicted To The Net
By:mark.j @ 2:06:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] A new survey from Websense has found that one in four employees is addicted to the Internet and not for work use.
Some are apparently spending an entire workday each week surfing non-work-related sites while in the office!:
But their employers don't seem to think there's a problem: only 8 percent of companies report any knowledge of workplace cyberaddiction, according to a survey from Websense.
The report found that some workers spend more than one entire workday each week surfing non-work-related Web sites while at their desks. News, e-commerce and even porn sites are among the most popular online destinations. The survey revealed that 67 percent of workers access news sites for personal reasons and 37 percent access shopping and auction sites while in the office. In addition, 2 percent of employees admit accessing pornography and 2 percent admit gambling online at work.
While 78 percent of employers block employee access to pornography, only 47 percent block access to gambling sites, 20 percent block shopping and auction sites and 4 percent block news.
Unfortunately it's not the first time we've heard such reports and interestingly Websense just so happens to produce software that can control employee Internet use, how convenient. More @ ZDNet. |
EasyInternetCafe To Expand
By:mark.j @ 1:58:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Having recently been at the centre of a music piracy dispute, EasyInternetCafe, a UK Internet access cafe chain, is looking to expand with the possible acquisition of Coffee Republic:
The move will see the no-frills group going head-to-head with sandwich outfit Benjy's to take over the Coffee Republic chain, which has been seeking a buyer after recording a �7.5m loss last year.
If successful, the move would see the company converting the stores into internet cafes, using the franchise method which has seen it expand to nine UK locations and 24 overseas.
Typically we'll have to wait and see what happens, more @ netimperative.info. |
Telewests New Finance Chief
By:mark.j @ 1:53:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] DigitalSpy reports that Mark Luiz is now Telewests new finance director:
It is likely that Luiz will continue his focus on driving down costs such as capital expenditure while overseeing Telewest's operations during a debt restructuring process that is anticipated to start soon. |
BT Loses Hypertext (link) Patent Claim
By:mark.j @ 1:49:PM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Good news, BT has lost its claim to the hyperlink/text patent, which could have resulted in ISPs and websites being charged to use URL links:
Earlier this year, BT filed a lawsuit against US ISP Prodigy in a bid to protect its patent claiming the ISP used its hyperlink technology without paying a royalty fee.
In a preliminary hearing back in March, Judge Colleen McMahon warned that BT would find it difficult to prove that the 26-year-old patent was relevant to today's internet and yesterday confirmed that initial ruling. "No jury could find that Prodigy infringes" the BT patent "either as part of the internet or on its web server viewed separate and apart from the internet," said the judge in a 27- page document.
A spokesman for BT said: "We are disappointed and will spend a bit of time going over the document before we decide on the next step."
Although the Web-User item doesn't say it, others have stated that ISP Prodigy Internet is delighted with the decision and so too are we.
The Internet breathes a collective sigh of relief, for now, until the next commercial goliath comes to try and take something away for financial gain. |
Orange Removes ISP Service
By:mark.j @ 9:47:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Orange Internet is to become the latest group after Vizzavi to ditch customers of its dialup ISP service, effective from 19th October 2002; yet they do recommend Freeserve as an alternative (oh happy days!).
In case you didn't know, Orange Internet is the ISP wing of mobile phone operator Orange. |
Secure Broadband Wireless UK LANs
By:mark.j @ 9:22:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] UK ISPs offering public broadband wireless LAN (Local Area Network - Wi-Fi) services can now be more secure thanks to a new product by Network Utilities (Systems) Ltd.:
The Surbiton, UK-based company said its Odyssey Client software can be used standalone or integrated into the connection manager software provided by WLAN hotspot providers and wireless ISPs.
Odyssey Client makes use of the IEEE's 802.1x protocol and the IETF's EAP- TTLS for allowing secure, anonymous connection to WLANs. Odyssey Client is compatible with a wide range of 802.1x adapter cards, and runs on various Windows versions including 98, Me, 2000 and XP. The software is priced at 37.50 pounds ($57.12) per license.
More @ The Register. |
Barrysworld Charging For Multiplayer
By:mark.j @ 9:18:AM - News Comments - SendNews [HERE] / PrintNews [HERE] Despite the growing number of home-grown broadband based free multiplayer servers being setup, the popular 'Game Retail' owned Barrysworld service has still gone commercial.
After many happy years of offering free access to their multiplayer gaming servers and dialup ISP, you'll now have to pay:
To unlock the full BarrysWorld experience you need to be a subscriber. Our introductory offer is only �24 for a year's subscription. If you've got a GAME Reward Card it's only �12 (Reward Card available during subs sign-up if you're eligible).
Subscription unleashes full access to our bookable servers, public servers, hosted sites, public FTP and new email accounts - all for the equivalent of �2 a month or under! Just pay one annual fee and away you go.
Thankfully some of the services are still quite attractive and Barrysworld does have to find some way of paying the bills. A full low-down of what's on offer is available HERE.
It�s unpleasant to see another free service bite the dust, especially in a climate where new ones are surfacing all around, although many knew this day would come and BW remains largely unique with its offerings. |
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