Apr 2 2009

Clearwire Plans Silicon Valley "Sandbox" WiMax Net

CWmike writes “Clearwire is teaming up with Google, Cisco and Intel to build a WiMax network in Silicon Valley for software developers to try out new applications on the 4G mobile broadband technology. The network will cover the three companies’ campuses and the region in between them and will span roughly 20 square miles, Clearwire’s Ben Wolff said in a keynote address at the CTIA Wireless show. No public access was mentioned, but Clearwire has forecast expanding its commercial WiMax service to the SF Bay Area next year.”

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Apr 2 2009

Diagnose Conficker With Web-Based Eye Chart

thomsomc writes “Joe Stewart from the Conficker Working Group has created an eye chart that allows for online identification of Conficker B and C infections. Using basic knowledge of the blacklisting that Conficker employs to avoid attempting to infect IPs that belong to popular Anti-Virus and security firms (including Microsoft), the group whipped up this very simple test to see if you can load content from the various pages. If you can see all of the images, you’re more than likely Conficker-free. According to Honeynet, ‘This detection method should be more reliable than network scanning based tests. Happy scanning!'” Related: Tech Fragments notes in passing that nothing much seems to have come of conficker’s dreaded April 1 deadline.

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Apr 2 2009

New Legislation Would Federalize Cybersecurity

Hugh Pickens writes “Senators Jay Rockefeller and Olympia J. Snowe are pushing to dramatically escalate US defenses against cyberattacks, crafting proposals, in Senate legislation that could be introduced as early as today, that would empower the government to set and enforce security standards for private industry for the first time. The legislation would broaden the focus of the government’s cybersecurity efforts to include not only military networks but also private systems that control essentials such as electricity and water distribution. “People say this is a military or intelligence concern, but it’s a lot more than that,” says Rockefeller, a former intelligence committee chairman. “It suddenly gets into the realm of traffic lights and rail networks and water and electricity.” The bill, containing many of the recommendations of the landmark study “Securing Cyberspace for the 44th Presidency” (pdf) by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, would create the Office of the National Cybersecurity Adviser, whose leader would report directly to the president and would coordinate defense efforts across government agencies. The legislation calls for the appointment of a White House cybersecurity “czar” with unprecedented authority to shut down computer networks, including private ones, if a cyberattack is underway. It would require the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish “measurable and auditable cybersecurity standards” that would apply to private companies as well as the government. The legislation also would require licensing and certification of cybersecurity professionals.”

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Apr 1 2009

Samsung introduces Mondi, first WiMax Mobile Internet Device

[PICS] Called the Mondi, the touchscreen, pocket-sized device is designed for use on the Clear mobile WiMax network from Clearwire, Samsung officials announced on Tuesday evening.

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Apr 1 2009

Facebook Takes a Dive: Why Social Networks Are Bad Business

There has been turmoil at Facebook and MySpace.That may be because neither one of them will ever make a cent of profit.

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Apr 1 2009

IPv6 Over Social Networks

An anonymous reader writes “A new RFC has been published this morning to significantly speed the deployment of IPv6. With IPv6 over Social Network (IPoSN), ‘[e]very user is a router with at least one loopback interface,’ and ‘Every friend or connection between users will be used as a point-to-point link.’ It is noted that latency on the network can be very high, though.”

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Apr 1 2009

Twitter fails the uptime test

Micro-blogging phenomenon Twitter experienced more downtime than any other social networking site last year, clocking up over 80 hours, according to new research from application delivery firm Akamai

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Apr 1 2009

Twitter switch for Guardian, after 188 years of ink

Consolidating its position at the cutting edge of new mediatechnology, the Guardian today announces that it will become the first newspaper in the world to be published exclusively via Twitter, the sensationally popular social networking service that has transformed online communication.

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Apr 1 2009

Coming Soon: The Hulufication of YouTube?

YouTube has been moving to bring in legitimate, licensed content from TV networks and movie studios for some time, inking deals with the likes of CBS and MGM. Professionally produced content is going to become the focal point of the site, as Google plans to launch a major redesign within the next month.

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Mar 31 2009

How One Man Travelled to New Zealand Relying on Twitterers

A brave traveller has made it all the way to New Zealand without buying a single ticket along the way. Paul Smith – dubbed the Twitchhiker – made the 11,000-mile trip using only donations from people who use the social networking site Twitter.

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