As a leader in an Internet-driven industry, you've got to stay informed about the latest products, technologies and services available to thriving e-businesses. Every week IGN publishes a new medley of blips and blurbs of important Internet and technology-related worldwide news, products, services and events that could help you strengthen your e-business.
New Virus Making Waves
Anti-virus companies scrambled to protect their customers against a new e-mail virus attack Tuesday that purports to be a computer screen saver program.
Security company McAfee reported thousands of its clients sent in copies of the worm, called "Goner." An Internet worm has the ability to spread to other computers on its own.
The e-mail has a subject line of "Hi," and asks the user to check a screen saver program, which is attached.
If the recipient runs the screen saver, the computer becomes infected. Like many e-mail attacks, it sends itself out to everyone in the victim's address book. It can also send itself through the instant messaging program ICQ.
In addition to ICQ, Goner affects Microsoft's Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail programs on computers running Windows.
MSNBC Web site Cuts Staff
MSNBC's Web site laid off 9 percent of its staff--about 18 people--Monday, citing a downturn in advertising revenues. The cable television news channel wasn't affected.
Cherylynne Crowther, a spokeswoman for MSNBC.com, declined to disclose an exact number of layoffs but said they were equivalent to 9 percent of the company's staff of approximately 200.
MSNBC.com is based in Redmond, Wash. The Web site, like the cable news channel MSNBC, is half-owned by Microsoft Corp., which is also based in Redmond, and half by General Electric Co.'s NBC.
Federal Courts Now Permit E-mail, Fax Filings
Competing federal court litigants now have permission to e-mail or fax their filings, if both sides agree.
Starting this month, parties in federal court lawsuits can file their arguments electronically. An initial lawsuit would have to be filed in traditional paper form, but other filings, like briefs and motions, could be done electronically.
Both sides in a case would have to agree to the method.
The Supreme Court and the Judicial Conference, which sets policy for the courts, approved the change.
It applies to federal trial and bankruptcy courts. Rules changes are being considered for appellate courts in late 2002.
The policy is unrelated to a recent Supreme Court decision to allow electronic filings in cases affected by anthrax. No direct deliveries are allowed at the court because of anthrax concerns.
Bush Official Pleas with Tech Executives
The president's computer security adviser asked technology executives Tuesday for a shopping list of changes, including bundled security software for high-speed Internet users and a new way to get software updates on personal computers.
Richard Clarke told software companies that their responsibility doesn't end when they fix a hole in their products that could let hackers in.
Clarke estimated 90 percent of virus attacks could be stopped if software firms did more than just placing the patch programs on their Web sites.
Home users can be a target of hackers as well as large companies and governments. Hackers sometimes target people who have high-speed Internet access, taking control of their computers and using them for further attacks.
Clarke, speaking at the Business Software Alliance's first Global Tech Summit, said high-speed Internet providers must protect their customers.
AOL Joins Anti-Microsoft Coalition
In a move aimed at thwarting Microsoft Corp. dominance of online identification technology, AOL Time Warner Inc. has joined a coalition of companies working to develop a competing platform.
AOL announced Tuesday it would aid the Liberty Alliance Project, a group of almost three dozen companies working on an identity authentication and payment program that will compete with Microsoft's Passport system.
Liberty Alliance seeks to allow Internet users to log in once but gain access to various Internet resources that require authentication. Microsoft's Passport system already offers the same capabilities.
An AOL spokesman said the company would also continue to develop its own identification system, known as Magic Carpet, but would share programming expertise with Liberty Alliance partners to ensure the systems are compatible.
Cable Providers Help Bail out ExciteAtHome
ExciteAtHome's biggest remaining cable customers have agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure that the bankrupt Internet access provider keeps its service up and running for the next three months.
Cox Communications Inc. and Comcast Corp. said Monday their separate $160 million deals will give them time to develop their own networks for cable Internet service. ExciteAtHome provides fast Web access for 570,000 Cox accounts and most of Comcast's 792,000 Internet subscribers.
Another large ExciteAtHome cable partner, Toronto-based Rogers Communications, struck a similar deal to protect its 425,000 customers while it develops its own service, though the price was not disclosed.
And Insight Communications, the nation's ninth-biggest cable operator, said it also had agreed to pay ExciteAtHome to stay on, ensuring access for its 75,000 customers. Insight will eventually shift customers to alternate Internet service providers.
Internet Posts Protected Under Court Ruling
A California appeals court upheld the right to post disparaging comments about public companies on Internet message boards. The court said that message boards are a "public forum" under a U.S. law designed to prevent strategic litigation against public participation, known as Anti-SLAPP legislation.
In the case brought by ComputerXpress, a company selling computer-related products, the court found that it was in the public interest to have the messages displayed. ComputerXpress had alleged that several individuals had made "numerous false and disparaging statements" about the company on the Internet. According to the court, the messages merely amounted to the opinions of shareholders. The court found that "their tone and content identified them as statements of opinion and not of fact," and they were not the words of a competitor.
Crucially, the court distinguished the content of the messages from those that are defamatory. In this case, the messages were deemed by the court to be acceptable because they were merely "disparaging," not defamatory.
Thirty Countries Sign Convention on Cybercrime
The Convention on Cybercrime, the first international treaty on criminal offenses committed against or with the help of computer networks, on Friday was signed by the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States and 27 other countries.
The Convention was drawn up by the Council of Europe which has 42 member states. Representatives of 26 member states signed the treaty on its opening day in Budapest. Canada, Japan, South Africa and the United States--countries which also took part in the Convention's drafting, also signed up. Other non-member states may also be invited by the Committee of Ministers to sign the treaty at a later date.
The Convention will come into force as soon as five states, at least three of which must be Council of Europe members, have ratified it. This requires them to make changes to their national laws to implement the Convention's provisions.
The Convention deals in particular with offences related to infringements of copyright, computer-related fraud, child pornography and offenses connected with network security. It also covers a series of procedural powers such as searches of and interception of material on computer networks.