US has paid providers $1B to bring broadband to remote areas; progress is uneven
Economist Sep 19, 07 7:39 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Measured by President Bush's goal—to give every America access to broadband this year—it's not a success. But the effort to wire rural America has made impressive progress, the Economist reports. The US government has given more than $1 billion to internet providers in distant markets in an effort reminiscent of the New Deal's rural electrification project.
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Alaska jet will have Wi-Fi hot spots for phones, laptops
Associated Press Sep 19, 07 5:17 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Alaska Airlines will become the first US carrier to offer satellite-based Wi-Fi internet access to passengers, reports AP. The airline will install the wireless service on one 737 jet next spring with a view to outfitting the entire 114-plane fleet. American Airlines announced plans for internet access on some of its Boeing 767s, using an air-to-ground system relying on cellular towers to transmit the broadband signals.
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App might take off like Firefox, unless users prefer webmail
CNET Sep 18, 07 6:25 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The makers of Firefox are spending $3 million to amp up their old email program, Thunderbird, CNET reports. Mozilla Foundation hopes to repeat the success it had with Firefox, a browser that nabbed a notable market share. Yet Thunderbird may have a tough flight ahead of it: Many users prefer web-based email, and will need convincing to download a stand-alone app.
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Thinks added ad revenue will make
up for losses
Los Angeles Times Sep 18, 07 4:42 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Rupert Murdoch said today he would probably eliminate the Wall Street Journal's online subscription fee when News Corp. completes its purchase of the paper in a few months. The media mogul believes that dropping the subscription fee will attract more readers to the site, thereby increasing advertising revenues, the LA Times reports.
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Paper scraps reader web fees; hopes to recoup from advertisers
Reuters Sep 18, 07 4:10 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The New York Times is ending its two-year experiment with paid online subscriptions and making all of its content free to internet readers, Reuters reports. The move goes into effect tomorrow. Previously, those who wanted to read columnists such as Maureen Dowd and other premium content had to pay $7.95 a month for the TimesSelect service.
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First emoticon launched global communication revolution
International Herald Tribune Sep 18, 07 3:18 AM CDT
(Newser)
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They didn't seem significant at the time, but three keystrokes typed exactly 25 years ago tomorrow marked a groundbreaking change in the way we communicate. The keystrokes— a colon, hyphen and a right parenthesis—formed the first smiley-face emoticon. The were created on a computer bulletin board by artificial intelligence pioneer Professor Scott E. Fahlman of Carnegie Mellon University.
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More sophisticated hackers chip away
at your online security
PC World Sep 17, 07 2:41 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Hackers are getting smarter, more international, and increasingly well funded, a new report on Internet security reveals. One scam involves gangs acting as middlemen for other would-be criminals; some rip-off artists use social networking sites to research a mark, then send a personalized email to trick the target into giving up personal data, PC World reports.
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Calls download practice efficient, not shifty
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sep 14, 07 4:59 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Microsoft is reconsidering its updating practices after coming under fire for "silently"downloading a Windows patch—even for users who had opted for notifications. Microsoft defended itself, pointing out that the silent fixes affected the update software itself, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. Skeptical opponents maintain similar situations in the past came with alerts.
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New social networking sites are aimed at 'sticky' baby boomers
New York Times Sep 12, 07 6:45 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Entrepreneurs are rolling out social networking websites aimed at those old enough to have spawned the devotees of Facebook and MySpace, the NY Times reports. Investors say it's good business—older surfers are more likely to stick with a site they like, and there are a lot of tech-savvy boomers. “I’ve discussed my divorce … and when do I dare go dating again," says one 52-year-old.
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Says ISPs should be able to charge consumers more for priority traffic
Associated Press Sep 6, 07 8:35 PM CDT
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Internet service providers should be able to charge a premium for customers who want certain content to load faster than others, the Justice Department said today. In a recommendation to the FCC, Justice claimed "net neutrality"—the idea that all websites should be equally accessible—could slow online growth, keep ISPs from upgrading services and stick consumers with unnecessary costs.
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Figures show low use
of municipal wireless
Wired Sep 4, 07 2:15 PM CDT
(Newser)
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As plans for free municipal Wi-Fi ran aground last week in San Francisco, Chicago, and St. Louis, Wired investigates why the egalitarian dream of all-pervasive wireless has failed to take hold. All to blame: the high cost of infrastructure, difficult public-private partnerships, and, above all, low consumer interest.
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Most unwilling to spend money to protect information, study finds
Wired Sep 4, 07 5:57 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The privacy market is hot, Wired observes, as new startups and big-name net companies are rolling out services to help consumers control information about themselves. But few may care enough pay for them. A new study shows most people are unwilling to spend even 25 cents to protect their privacy. "People prefer money over data, always," said a researcher.
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Women take more sexual risks with men they've 'met' online
Houston Chronicle Aug 30, 07 6:37 PM CDT
(Newser)
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A third of women have sex on the first date with men they've previously met online, and 77% of those don't use condoms, a new study reports. "They may not think of it as being risky sex," the survey's author tells the Houston Chronicle, citing "virtual intimacy" as a factor in unsafe behavior.
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New web companies follow Google's example and embrace goofy monikers
Los Angeles Times Aug 29, 07 2:19 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Following in the Google tradition of using a goofy name to stand out from the Silicon Valley pack, a new generation of internet startups is sporting wacky monikers that may rile investors and confuse consumers. Young companies resort to names like Tagtooga and Qoosa to carve out unique identities and snap up domains that aren’t already taken.
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