Coursecast of the Week

Episode 0045, 04/19/2008

Title/Description: CourseCast 45: FCC and Net Neutrailty, Shoppers Don't Want to be Followed, Back to Undersea Cables

Welcome to Course Technology's CourseCast of the week, Episode 45, recorded April 19th, 2008.

This is Ken Baldauf bringing you this week's technology news and information.

This CourseCast is brought to you by Course Technology. Check out www.course.com for innovative textbooks and creative electronic learning solutions.

Story 1 - FCC Moves Towards Network Neutrality

After months of hearings with Comcast, the FCC opened the floor to the public last week at Stanford University. Many in attendance expressed outrage over Comcast's "packet shaping" practice of throttling and shutting down P2P uploads. Well known Stanford Law professor, and network neutrality advocate, Lawrence Lessig, blamed the FCC for not taking steps to insure that the Internet remain free and unfiltered. FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin hinted that the FCC might fashion an order to regulate if and how ISPs can throttle Internet traffic. He stated that ISP's need to disclose their packet shaping practices, and not discriminate based on application or protocol.

"FCC Likely To Act on P2P Internet Throttling" [NewsFactor], "Big ISPs a no show at second FCC net neutrality hearing" [Ars Technica]

Story 2 - Shoppers Don't Want to be Followed

Consumer comfort levels with online tracking appears to be nose diving. Technologies, like Facebook's Beacon, that track users Internet actions are testing the limits of consumer rights to privacy. A Texas woman is suing Blockbuster Video, alleging that the company is actively and knowingly violating the Video Privacy Protection Act by reporting her purchases and rentals to Facebook.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Federation of America and the Consumers Union are pressuring the Federal Trade Commission to create a "do not track list." The list would work much like the "do not call" list that keeps sales people from phoning consumers at home. But in this case, users could sign up to prevent advertisers from collecting information about online activities used to target customers for online advertisements.

Suit accuses Blockbuster, Facebook of privacy law violations" [Ars Technica] "Consumer groups urge "do not track" registry" [Reuters]

Story 3 - Back to Undersea Cables

Remember the undersea telecommunications cables that were mysteriously cut in the Mediterranean Sea a few months back? The damage seriously impacted Internet access for Egypt, India, and other areas of the Middle East. The story led to many conspiracy theories about political plots and espionage. This week, after reviewing satellite images of the area taken at the time of the cuts, it was determined that two commercial ships were in the restricted area at the time the cables were cut. Due to bad weather the ships were forced to anchor. As the anchors dragged across the sea bottom, they caught on the cables and snapped them. One of the ships has been released after the Korean owners paid a hefty fine. Two sailors on the second Iraqi-owned ship are being detained. Some mystery remains however, since a total of four cuts were reported over the period of a few days. Can these anchors have caused all four breaks? Don't discount my disgruntled lobster theory quite yet!

"Two held over undersea cable damage" [vnunet], "Satellites pin blame for undersea cable cuts on cargo ships" [Ars Technica]

And that brings us to News Briefs.

Chinese hackers have announced there intent to take down CNN.com through a denial of service attack. The hackers are upset about media coverage of China's treatment of Tibet. [Computerworld]
The Recording Industry Association of America has sent out another 569 pre-litigation settlement letters to students at 26 colleges. Schools like Marshall University that made efforts to protect their students were ultimately shot down by the courts whose judges ordered them to release the names of the students involved. [Ars Technica]
A Michigan woman is facing up to 10 years in prison for running an ad on Craigslist, looking for someone willing to murder her lover's wife. [Reuters]
In its continuing efforts to fend off Microsoft's advances, Yahoo has turned some of its adverting business over to Microsoft rival, Google. Microsoft is threatening a hostile takeover of Yahoo. [Reuters]
Google's first quarter profits have exceeded expectations, boosting its shares past the $500 mark in extended trade. [Reuters]
Nokia will begin selling a cell phone with Near Field Communication technology, or NFC. NFC technology is expected to turn cell phones into electronic wallets allowing consumers to pay for products and services by swiping their phone over a pad provided at checkout, on vending machines, subway stations, and wherever payments are required. [Reuters]
Google developed an image-recognition technology that it uses to find copyright violations on YouTube. This week Google announced that it is providing the technology to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to search for child pornography online, and save abused and exploited children. [Reuters]
Hundreds of Cubans lined up to get their first cell phones this week. Until now only government officials and foreigners were allowed to use cell phone service in Cuba. [Reuters]
The US Federal government will begin collecting DNA from every person it arrests, in an effort to curtail violent crime. Privacy advocates are concerned. [Yahoo!]
Video game hardware and software skyrocketed 57 percent in March compared to a year ago. The Nintendo Wii leads the pack, and Microsoft Xbox has regained the number two position, bumping out Sony's PS3. [NewsFactor]
Blockbuster has offered to buy the struggling Circuit City for more than $1 billion [NewsFactor]
Buses and commuter trains across the US are making commuters happy by providing Wi-fi Internet access. Many business people are starting their work day early as they board the bus or train for the morning commute. [NewsFactor]

That's it for this week's CourseCast. Links to this week's stories and many more news and information resources are provided at the CourseCast Web site at www.course.com/coursecasts. Email us with your suggestions for the show at course.coursecasts@cengage.com. Until next time have a great week and be sure to take advantage of the Power -- of Technology!