what in the world on June 4

Worm eyes up credit card details Windows users are being warned about a virus that is "aggressively stealing" credit card numbers and passwords. The Korgo virus debuted on 22 May and since then has been steadily racking up victims. Although the virus is not widespread, security firms are issuing warnings because it is proving so effective at stealing confidential data. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3776247.stm -------------------- Study: Web porn entices far more surfers than search By Lisa Baertlein, Reuters http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2004-06-03-popular-porn_x.htm SAN FRANCISCO — Online porn sites get about three times more visits than the top Web search engines, including market leader Google, a research firm said Thursday. Visits to the top three Web search engines — which virtually dominate their sector — accounted for 5.5% of all Internet visits by U.S. users during the week ending May 29, said Hitwise, a California-based company that tracks such activity. During that time, Google garnered 2.7% of all Web visits while Yahoo Search and MSN Search received 1.7% and 1.1% respectively, Bill Tancer, vice president of research at Hitwise, told Reuters. ---------------------- LecStar Telecom to Test Broadband Service and VoIP over Power Lines Posted on: 06/03/2004 http://www.phoneplusmag.com/hotnews/46h313811.html LecStar Telecom Inc. on Thursday announced an agreement with an undisclosed regional electric utility to test high-speed Internet access over the power lines during a six-month field trial. Atlanta-based LecStar disclosed plans to offer 30 utility customers broadband service, and about one in five customers also will receive phone service over the power lines as part of a VoIP test. “We are excited about the potential of this new technology to open up a new dimension for high-speed data and voice services to customers,” Michael Britt, LecStar vice president of channel development, said in a press release. “Once the field study is completed in late fourth quarter of 2004, we will solidify the business and revenue model to allow for a broad distribution of these services.” LecStar, a subsidiary of Fonix Corp., is a telecommunications provider competing with BellSouth Corp. and other service providers in the Southeast. ---------------------------------- VERIZON is now conducting internal trials for their upcoming 3Mbps speeds, though so far only among a limited number of Verizon employees. The trial is expected to be opened to the public before long, and the 3Mbps speeds are expected to be available to all Verizon customers sometime this summer. http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/45148 -------------------------------- Vonage Faces Risks, Says Report http://www.boardwatch.com/document.asp?doc_id=53815 In a report released this week, research firm In-Stat/MDR says Vonage Holdings Corp. owns the largest share of the market for voice-over-IP (VOIP) service to U.S. residences and small offices with broadband connections. But the report also warns that Vonage and other pure-play VOIP providers face risks from regulatory uncertainty and price competition. --------------------------------- Editorial: Defining a National Alliance The nascent National Internet Alliance (http://www.nationalinternetalliance.org) is advocacy the way the small ISPs should have always done it. But the alliance must be lead by its feet, or it will never get off the ground. by Alex Goldman, ISP-Planet Managing Editor http://www.isp-planet.com/politics/2004/nia_editorial.html ---------------------------------------- http://www.isp-planet.com/cplanet/tech/2004/prime_letter_040604.html George Bush called Mike Powell in and inspired him to work this holiday weekend alongside Kevin Martin to avoid a price increase. Seidenberg, Dorman, and Capellas flew down. The White House doesn't want to see phone bills go up, after brother Jeb Bush hit a firestorm in Florida after rate increases. So now Powell's beseeching the Bells, AT&T, and MCI to find a solution, with a threat to continuing unbundling if the Bells don't go along. Jeremy Pelofsky at Reuters broke the story and suggests "the Bush administration wants deals cut that would avoid telephone rates going up substantially ahead of a closely contested presidential election." Blair Levin warns in the LA Times "It's not clear the Bush administration controls gas prices, but one could argue that they have more control over phone rates." The first battle is UNE-P, but right behind is the simmering request by the telcos for an eight-year $60 billion ICF increase. Bruce Kushnick of New Networks has already called for dropping the fees instead, unless they can be cost-justified. The gobblygook isn't working on the press this time. The WSJ, Washington Post, and the wires haven't been persuaded a price increase is "necessary rate rebalancing," and every reporter I know is getting ready to cover this one intensely. -------------------------------------------- SMBs Seen as Fertile For VoIP Growth By Craig McGuire http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3362791 Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) (define) start-up NuCall Communications is the latest major foray into the underserved small and medium size business (SMBs) market. And though several challenges still hamper VoIP adoption in the massive SMB space, including unresolved regulatory and cost issues, many analysts and industry players agree that NuCall should face plenty of competition relatively soon. "With major players entrenched in the enterprise and consumer segments, there is no doubt that the SMB space is a sweet spot for VoIP growth moving forward," said Scott Testa, COO of Mindbridge Software, a Norristown, Penn., software company. "Remember, something like 98 percent of all businesses in this country employ less than 100 people. Still, it is a challenging space, with most SMBs lacking the IT infrastructure or deep IT resources and staff to plunge into VoIP." ------------------------------------ Universal sentiments: http://www.isp-planet.com/politics/2004/godzilla.html ---------------------------------- Integrated Security and VPN for the SMB Market http://www.isp-planet.com/equipment/2004/clearpath_snap_vpn.html This security vendor is looking for ISP partners to sell its SMB all-in-one Linux-based security-plus-more service, offering ISPs a cut of the substantial monthly service fee. El Segundo, Calif.-based ClearPath Networks offers an integrated security device, the SNAP VPN, for a cheap up-front purchase price but a relatively steep monthly fee. ----------------------------------- BPL: Progress Energy uses existing grid and wireless hops for high-speed access http://www.americasnetwork.com/americasnetwork/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=93432 Progress Energy,a Raleigh,N.C.-based energy and utility company,is making a major strategic bet on the future of broadband delivery over power lines. The Fortune 250 diversified energy company is teaming with Earthlink to offer broadband Internet service to more than 500 homes in several North Carolina neighborhoods via existing power lines. ------------------------------- Videophones ready for prime time view? Eric Lai In lists of futuristic gadgets with the highest gee-whiz factor, videophones have always been at the top - along with flying cars and talking robot butlers. None have been widely adopted, although at least in the case of two-way video communication, the technology has been around for decades. But two Fremont companies are working to make the dream of videophones come to pass - albeit with different approaches. http://www.bizjournals.com/industries/high_tech/internet/2004/05/31/eastbay_story5.html ----------------------------- Untangling phone bill errors can be a full-time headache Wanda Lance Are you surprised to hear that more than 92 percent of businesses have errors in their telephone bills? As a telecommunications auditing firm, this has been our experience in auditing the bills of more than 1,100 businesses over the last 20 years. No matter the size of the business, from a handful of employees to Fortune 500 companies with large telecom departments, virtually all businesses reap substantial refunds and savings from audits of their telephone bills. It was recently reported that the telephone bill, right after payroll, is the second-largest expense of our nation's businesses. http://www.bizjournals.com/industries/high_tech/telecom/2004/05/31/nashville_focus3.html ------------------------- Hyatt putting Wi-Fi access in its hotels in the U.S. (June 4) http://www.suntimes.com/output/business/cst-fin-hyatt04.html Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels and Resorts said Thursday that Wi-Fi "hot spots" -- wireless broadband Internet access points -- will be rolled out over the next six months throughout its U.S. hotels, from lobbies and restaurants to most rooms. "Our guests prefer the convenience and mobility of wireless Internet," said Robert Bansfield, assistant vice president for information technology at Hyatt. Hyatt is responding by installing T-Mobile HotSpots in 75 of its 117 hotels in the United States over the next six months, he said. The service will be available in the next week or two in nearly 1,100 rooms at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. The Hyatt Charlotte (N.C.) Thursday became the first property to offer the wireless service, he said. ----------------------------------- Microsoft calls for outbound filtering against spam Company's chief spam fighter says new 'proofing' technologies are under development By Joris Evers, IDG News Service June 04, 2004 http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/06/04/HNmsfiltering_1.html SAN JOSE, California -- In its continuing fight against unsolicited commercial e-mail, Microsoft Corp. plans to filter outgoing messages on its consumer mail services and is busy developing new "proofing" technologies, the software maker's chief spam fighter said Thursday. The fight is also one against the clock. Microsoft last year set a two-year goal to make spam a problem of the past. There are 19 months left, Ryan Hamlin, general manager of Microsoft's Security Technology & Strategy group, said Thursday at Inbox, a conference on e-mail here. -------------------------------------