Ian Paul

Do you subscribe to OnStar or use an old analog-based cellular phone? This next story might have you fuming. For those of us old enough to remember the coming of the Motorola Flip phone and its predecessors, analog satellite technology was the ... original network that made the cellular phone possible. In fact, some people argue that an analog phone is superior because it gets better reception and clarity than current digital technologies. Nevertheless -- if you are the owner of one of these devices, the end is near. As of February 2008, the analog phone network is scheduled to be shutdown per U. ... (view more)

Shortly after purchasing new cellular service from Verizon Wireless in November 2006, Lindsey Abrams of Patriot, Indiana began receiving explicit, 'adult' text messages on her phone. The unsolicited texts were delivered to her via Facebook, whose ... systems believed the number still belonged to its previous owner. Abrams was forced to shell out 10 cents for every message, and eventually became fed up and sued the social networking site. (Source: wirelessweek.com ) Ms. Abrams' lawyers had hoped to extend the allegations into a class action lawsuit claiming that thousands of unsolicited texts were ... (view more)

What a difference a year makes! At this time twelve months ago, Google was the darling of the online world. As 2007 progressed, however, the search firm found itself under scrutiny for 'collaborating' with the Chinese government, questions arose ... about Google's role in privacy issues via its web advertising, and it is in the middle of a lawsuit with Viacom over proprietary content on YouTube. Perhaps the most interesting development is the head-to-head battle between Google and Microsoft, the undisputed heavy-weight champion of the software world and new contender for the advertising crown. A ... (view more)

On Sunday, Iranian police shut down 24 Internet Cafes and arrested 23 people, including 12 men and 11 women. According to Tehran's police agency, more than 400 establishments were inspected and approximately 170 warnings were handed out the day ... before the crackdown began. (Source: newswire.ca ) "Using immoral computer games, storing obscene photos...and the presence of women wearing improper hijab were among the reasons why [the Internet cafes] have been closed down," said provincial police commander Colonel Nader Sarkari. (Source: reuters.com ) The move is part of a larger effort ... (view more)

Microsoft acquired Multimap on Wednesday, a leading provider of location-based services in Europe. The privately-owned British company is one of the United Kingdom's top 100 technology firms, and was an early pioneer in online mapping for the island ... country. According to the Times of London, the deal is worth $50 million dollars, half of which will go to Multimap's founder Sean Phelan. (Source: timesonline.co.uk ) The website is the second most popular online destination in its class in the UK, trailing Google Maps and leading Microsoft's Live Search Maps (which came in fifth). This is the ... (view more)

Renowned photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand has entered into an arrangement with Google to display his work in the web portal's Google Earth. Close to 500 photographs are included in the free program, as well as on a gadget made for the search ... company's customizable home page iGoogle. Accompanying the pictures are facts and figures about issues and challenges across the globe. (Source: google.com) Google Earth's innovative and highly popular program uses a layer system which allows users to see separate categories of data, such as roads, terrain, hotels, restaurants, and building information ... (view more)

On Friday, Unicef, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), and Google announced a project to help create a greater understanding of different cultures and experiences through an online community. A new web site called "Our Stories" ( www.ourstories.org ) will ... serve as a vehicle to share the histories and identities of cultures around the world. Using OLPC's XO laptop and other devices, children will record the experiences of elders, friends and family members in their native language, and then upload them to the web where the stories will be accessible by clicking on a Google Map. "Information ... (view more)

Less than a month after Facebook announced its Beacon advertising program, the social-networking company has made a serious retreat from its initial plans. In a statement on Facebook's blog last Wednesday CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued a public apology ... for the way Beacon was introduced. "We simply did a bad job with this release, and I apologize for it," Zuckerberg said. Beacon was Facebook's most recent attempt at finding a way to monetize the increasingly popular web site. The initial launch was announced on November 6, with 44 high-profile companies signed on for the kick-off. Beacon began as ... (view more)

In April, bill 1955, the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act (VRAHTPA), was introduced in Congress. If passed, the legislation would create a a new commission that would be charged with monitoring citizens with "extremist ... belief systems" and anyone who may be suspected of "ideologically based violence." (Source: news.com ) The following is an excerpt from VRAHTPA: "Congress finds the following: The Internet has aided in facilitating violent radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the home grown terrorism process in the United States by providing access ... (view more)

Who's been naughty this year? Microsoft's Santa Claus IM bot, that's who. PC World and Metro UK have recently reported that a program designed to respond to children via Windows Live Messenger could be easily duped into responding to lude and ... suggestive dialogue. (Source: metro.co.uk ) The error was first discovered in an exchange that went something like this: User: eat it Santa: No thank you. I don't eat things! User: eat it Santa: See if you can get someone else to eat it! User: eat it. Santa: You want me to eat what?!? It's fun to talk about oral sex, but I want to chat about something ... (view more)