US mobiles slam brakes on Nissans
Nissan has warned US drivers to keep mobile phones away from electronic car keys because the key's codes can be erased. The car manufacturer has asked owners of its Nissan Altima and Infiniti G35 sedans to leave at least an inch between the keys and a mobile phone. Nissan's I-Keys use wireless technology to operate the car doors and start the engine. If the code is wiped drivers would be unable to open or close the doors or travel anywhere in the vehicle. If the I-Key touches a cellphone, outgoing or incoming calls have the potential to alter the electronic code inside the key. "The car will not start and the I-Key cannot be reprogrammed." Bazemore explained that the problem had been found only in a "very small percent age" of the models sold, and that dealers had been issued with new keys in case owners encountered the problem. Nissan said that it will launch a new version of the I-Key later this year.

Vista fails to drive new PC sales
Demand for new PCs has not been affected "significantly" by the delay to Microsoft's Windows Vista and its subsequent release, reports In-Stat. The worldwide PC market is still on track to sell 300 million units in 2009, according to the high-tech market research firm's latest estimates. A short-term rise in PC demand is anticipated with the recent release of Vista. System sales that had been waiting for systems pre-loaded with Vista rather than XP are expected to work through sales channels in the next two quarters. But these sales represent an offset from last year rather than new demand creation. The report found that corporate buying cycles continue to be the dominant factor in enterprise demand for new PCs. Memory manufacturers are likely to see the most benefit from Vista, with an increase of over 20% annually through the end of the decade. The average consumer wanting Vista is more likely to purchase an entire new system instead of a system upgrade.

Skype worm leaps onto MSN
Malware miscreants have created the first worm targeting Skype that's also capable over other instant messaging networks, such as MSN and ICQ. The unnamed worm poses as a chat message linking to a website, as with other example of Skype-spreading malware before it. This malicious website contains a .pif file, that poses as "photos". Users tricked by this simple ruse will find themselves infected by the Stration worm, a mass mailer that also attempts to foil attempts to remove it by blocking access to security-related websites, and other items of malware. Skype contacts of users infected by the worm get sent a message pointing to the hacker-controlled website. This is all fairly standard. The twist comes via an attempt by VXers to hedge their bets. One of the files dropped onto infected PCs checks to see if a number of different instant messaging programs are installed. Although the main vector for infection is Skype, the malware also attempts to spread by punting messages across MSN and ICQ, according to an analysis of the malware by researchers at IM security firm FaceTime Communications.

CNN.com to stop charging for live video
CNN will give away access to an online video service that now costs $25 a year, becoming the latest news organization to revamp its revenue model on the Web. Effective July 1, reflected lower costs associated with delivering bandwidth-intensive video. It's the second time in two years CNN has changed its subscription policies for video. In June 2005, the Time Warner Inc. unit stopped charging for its video in preparation for a premium offering that launched six months later. The premium service, called Pipeline, includes four live video streams, at least one of which is anchored, and archives containing more than 50,000 clips. By contrast, the free section of CNN.com has about 600 videos at any given time, and those clips are generally moved behind subscription walls after two weeks. The Pipeline video will move to the free section when CNN revamps its site July 1, and the Pipeline name will disappear. Subscribers will get prorated refunds. Pipeline currently costs $25 per year, $3 a month or $1 for a day pass.

High-tech TV upgrades will create low-tech trash
As new high-definition televisions fly off store shelves, millions of old sets soon could be flying into the trash. A major change to broadcast television in 2009 — the conversion from analog signals to all digital — is expected to send many Americans to the store for new TV sets. That could mean a flood of outdated TVs, which contain lead-encased picture tubes and other hazardous material, heading into landfills. Although cellphones, computers and other gadgets generally get thrown out or given away when people upgrade, TVs tend to hang around the house if they're still working. They're used to play video games or to watch DVDs, or they get plugged into the cable system or hooked up to rabbit ears to serve as an extra set. The latest U.S. Census figures indicate that the average household had 2.5 television sets in 2004, a 25% increase since 1990. In all, there were 268 million TV sets. "There's a lot of different uses," said Parker Brugge, environmental counsel for the Consumer Electronics Assn. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has not made any projections, and the California Integrated Waste Management Board is studying the issue. Consumer electronics manufacturers are trying to stem environmental fallout. As part of its effort to inform the public about the digital TV transition, the Consumer Electronics Assn. has touted its new recycling website, http://www.mygreenelectronics.org , which helps people find places to drop off their old TVs and other devices. According to a survey last year by the trade group, 19% of people threw their old electronics in the trash. The rest either gave them away (55%), recycled them (18%) or sold them (7%). Shegerian, the recycler in Fresno, says the number of discarded TVs can only increase as prices on flat-panel TVs drop and the digital conversion leads more people to upgrade. The EPA says those older sets contain a host of hazardous materials. Most states ban leaded cathode-ray tubes — the technology used to power older TV sets — from landfills.

Philadelphia Wi-Fi project advances
Philadelphia has finished testing its wireless Internet project, setting the stage for America's biggest citywide Wi-Fi network that will also offer access to low-income households, officials said on Thursday. The city government this week approved results from a 15-square-mile test zone where people can access the Internet for $21.95 a month or $9.95 if they qualify for low-income assistance. Access is free in parks and other outdoor spaces, and for people participating in community programs such as employment training or housing assistance. By the end of this year, Philadelphia will have wireless Internet access throughout its 135 square miles in a project being watched by many cities throughout the world. Although other cities have wireless "hotspots," no other U.S. city as large as Philadelphia has total Wi-Fi coverage. Wireless Philadelphia aims to provide Internet access for the more than 300,000 households--about half of the city--that cannot currently get on the Web, and so are unable to perform basic economic activities such as applying for jobs whose employers only accept online applications, with a quarter of its 1.5 million people officially below the federal poverty line, is one of the poorest U.S. cities. For 2,000 of the neediest customers, Wireless Philadelphia plans to provide free refurbished laptops, a one-year Wi-Fi account, and educational and technical support in a program that will cost $3 million once funds are raised, Goldman said. The network is being funded, built and managed by EarthLink, an Atlanta-based Internet provider, which plans to invest $13.5 million to complete the project. The company will pay revenue-sharing fees to Wireless Philadelphia to support its "digital inclusion" project for low-income users.

IPv4 addresses run out in 2010
The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) has confirmed that Ipv4 numbers will have been exhausted by 2010 and the world urgently needs to move to Ipv6. According to ArsTechnica, people occasionally provide fraudulent information to ARIN to obtain address space, and as the amount of IPv4 space remaining decreases, this could happen more often. ARIN gives out IP addresses in North America and there are four similar organisations in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Rest of the World. The biggest problem for ARIN is that Ipv6 gives you very little advantage and too few users. According to ARIN's statistics, 19% of the IPv4 address space is still available, with 13% unavailable and 68% "allocated."

Internet Ad Revenue Charges Ahead
Internet ad revenue grew 35% in 2006, with search, display, classifieds and lead-generation categories continuing to rise at a healthy clip while e-mail, sponsorship and slotting fees remained flat or lost share of the total online ad market. The figures come from the Interactive Advertising Bureau's quarterly Internet Advertising Revenue Report released today, which included both fourth-quarter and full-year 2006 figures. U.S. online ad revenue reached a record high of $4.8 billion last quarter, an increase of 33% over the 2005 fourth quarter. The 2006 full-year total was $16.9 billion. Display advertising and keyword search were up $3.7 billion and $6.8 billion, respectively, last year. As in past years, ad revenue was concentrated among top publishers. The top 10 raked in $11.6 billion, or 69% of total online ad revenue, down slightly from the 72% share those publishers had in 2005. The top 50 publishers accounted for 93% of the online ad market. While much of the buzz circulates around broadband video, rich media as a share of total online ad revenue actually dropped, increasing total dollars by a lower-than-industry rate, from $1 billion in 2005 to $1.2 billion in 2006.

New Hollywood diet cuts out the premiere parties
The premiere of the Will Ferrell comedy "Blades of Glory" here in March could not have been more fabulous. Photographers crowded the red carpet at Grauman's Chinese Theater, snapping pictures of celebrities like Ben Stiller and Brooke Shields. The ice skating stars Nancy Kerrigan and Dorothy Hamill mingled with eager fans. And at the big after-premiere party - wait: There was no big party. Instead, Paramount, which distributed the film, let the filmmakers hold a private gathering for the movie's cast, crew and friends. The budget: $50,000, or about one-tenth the cost of an average soiree. With Hollywood gearing up for a summer of expensive-to-market blockbusters, studios have been quietly trimming the premiere budgets for other movies, sometimes giving filmmakers cash for a private dinner or even forgoing the party altogether. The Hollywood party may have reached a zenith in 2001 with Walt Disney Co.'s $5-million bash for "Pearl Harbor," when the company entertained 2,000 guests in Hawaii on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier John Stennis. In 2003, Sony Pictures Entertainment, one of the biggest spenders in town, rented the Santa Monica Pier for nearly 1,500 partygoers for the premiere of "Men in Black II." But with demanding corporate parents, their Wall Street partners and restive shareholders all looking to clamp down on spending, studio executives are finding it is hardly business as usual. Last year, the average price for a major studio film increased 3.4%, to $65.8 million. By contrast, average marketing costs, which hit their peak in 2003, declined 4.4%, to $34.5 million.

Tools To Make Work Easier

Backpack, which has been drawing attention among bloggers who focus on productivity tips. For those who want to give an online organizer a try, Backpack is relatively simple to use, with a clean look, clear menus and instructive “help” screens. Backpack gives away free accounts that limit users to five pages of to-do lists and notes. Paid accounts, starting at $5 a month, offer more pages, as well as storage space that lets users attach computer files and photos to their pages.


Mobivox new mobile-to-Skype service allows registered Mobivox users with Skype accounts to call local access numbers and will be connected via a virtual operator to their Skype contacts, for free. The service works with landlines and mobile phones, and it requires no download to your phone or PC. To use the service, just give Mobivox your telephone numbers and Skype account info. The service will sync your Skype contacts and make them available to call using the remote voice access system. Just call the number, and you'll get a virtual operator who takes voice commands or key entries to connect you to your contacts. You can also query the service to see which of your buddies are online. The potential for road warriors is great. There's nearly unlimited space for voice dial contacts, which is a plus for people without a good voice-dialing system on their phones.

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