Sweden Plans to Be World's First Oil-Free Economy: "Sweden Plans to Be World's First Oil-Free Economy
15-year limit set for switch to renewable energy
Biofuels favoured over further nuclear power
by John Vidal
Sweden is to take the biggest energy step of any advanced western economy by trying to wean itself off oil completely within 15 years - without building a new generation of nuclear power stations.
Sweden...gets almost all its electricity from nuclear and hydroelectric power, and relies on fossil fuels mainly for transport. Almost all its heating has been converted in the past decade to schemes which distribute steam or hot water generated by geothermal energy or waste heat.
The attempt by the country of 9 million people to become the world's first practically oil-free economy is being planned by a committee of industrialists, academics, farmers, car makers, civil servants and others, who will report to parliament in several months.
The intention, the Swedish government said yesterday, is to replace all fossil fuels with renewables before climate change destroys economies and growing oil scarcity leads to huge new price rises.
'Our dependency on oil should be broken by 2020,' said Mona Sahlin, minister of sustainable development. 'There shall always be better alternatives to oil, which means no house should need oil for heating, and no driver should need to turn solely to gasoline.'
According to the energy committee of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, there is growing concern that global oil supplies are peaking and will shortly dwindle, and that a global economic recession could result from high oil prices.
Ms Sahlin has described oil dependency as one of the greatest problems facing the world. 'A Sweden free of fossil fuels would give us enormous advantages, not least by reducing the impact from fluctuations in oil prices,' she said. 'The price of oil has tripled since 1996.'
A government official said: 'We want to be both mentally and technically prepared for a world without oil. The plan is a response to global climate change, rising petroleum prices and warnings by some experts that the world may soon be running out of oil.'"
10.2.06
Schoolboy's bias suit - The Boston Globe
Schoolboy's bias suit - The Boston Globe: "Schoolboy's bias suit
Argues system is favoring girls
By Tracy Jan, Globe Staff | January 26, 2006
At Milton High School, girls outnumber boys by almost 2 to 1 on the honor roll. In Advanced Placement classes, almost 60 percent of the students are female.
It's not that girls are smarter than boys, said Doug Anglin, a 17-year-old senior at the high school.
Girls are outperforming boys because the school system favors them, said Anglin, who has filed a federal civil rights complaint contending that his school discriminates against boys."
Argues system is favoring girls
By Tracy Jan, Globe Staff | January 26, 2006
At Milton High School, girls outnumber boys by almost 2 to 1 on the honor roll. In Advanced Placement classes, almost 60 percent of the students are female.
It's not that girls are smarter than boys, said Doug Anglin, a 17-year-old senior at the high school.
Girls are outperforming boys because the school system favors them, said Anglin, who has filed a federal civil rights complaint contending that his school discriminates against boys."
8.2.06
FORTUNE: How Pepsi outgunned Coke - Feb. 1, 2006
FORTUNE: How Pepsi outgunned Coke - Feb. 1, 2006: "NEW YORK (FORTUNE) - Pepsi beat Coke in December for the first time in their 108-year rivalry, surpassing its nemesis in market capitalization. The great irony of Pepsi's rise is this: It has never sold more soda than Coke, even today.
'Pepsi's been on fire,' notes Robert van Brugge, beverage analyst with Sanford Bernstein. Over the past five years its stock has risen more than a third, while Coke's has sunk 30 percent."
'Pepsi's been on fire,' notes Robert van Brugge, beverage analyst with Sanford Bernstein. Over the past five years its stock has risen more than a third, while Coke's has sunk 30 percent."
Salt Lake Tribune - Business
Salt Lake Tribune - Business: "Has BYU prof found AIDS cure?
Compound could be long-sought breakthrough
By Bob Mims
The Salt Lake Tribune
Researchers, including a BYU scientist, believe they have found a new compound that could finally kill the HIV/AIDS virus, not just slow it down as current treatments do.
And, unlike the expensive, drug cocktails 25 years of research have produced for those with the deadly virus, the compound invented by Paul D. Savage of Brigham Young University appears to hunt down and kill HIV.
Although so far limited to early test tube studies, CSA-54, one of a family of compounds called Ceragenins (or CSAs), mimics the disease-fighting characteristics of anti-microbial and anti-viral agents produced naturally by a healthy human immune system.
Under a study sponsored by Ceragenix Pharmaceuticals, Savage and his colleagues developed and synthesized the compound for Vanderbilt University's School of Medicine. In his Nashville, Tenn., laboratories, Derya Unutmaz, an associate professor of Microbiology and Immunology, tested several CSAs for their ability to kill HIV.
While issuing a cautious caveat about his early results, Unutmaz acknowledged Monday that CSAs could be the breakthrough HIV/AIDS researchers have sought for so long. "
Compound could be long-sought breakthrough
By Bob Mims
The Salt Lake Tribune
Researchers, including a BYU scientist, believe they have found a new compound that could finally kill the HIV/AIDS virus, not just slow it down as current treatments do.
And, unlike the expensive, drug cocktails 25 years of research have produced for those with the deadly virus, the compound invented by Paul D. Savage of Brigham Young University appears to hunt down and kill HIV.
Although so far limited to early test tube studies, CSA-54, one of a family of compounds called Ceragenins (or CSAs), mimics the disease-fighting characteristics of anti-microbial and anti-viral agents produced naturally by a healthy human immune system.
Under a study sponsored by Ceragenix Pharmaceuticals, Savage and his colleagues developed and synthesized the compound for Vanderbilt University's School of Medicine. In his Nashville, Tenn., laboratories, Derya Unutmaz, an associate professor of Microbiology and Immunology, tested several CSAs for their ability to kill HIV.
While issuing a cautious caveat about his early results, Unutmaz acknowledged Monday that CSAs could be the breakthrough HIV/AIDS researchers have sought for so long. "
7.2.06
Iran to publish Holocaust cartoons - Breaking news - Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au
Iran to publish Holocaust cartoons - Breaking news - Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au: "Iran to publish Holocaust cartoons
From: Agence France-Presse
From correspondents in Tehran
February 07, 2006
IRAN'S largest selling newspaper announced today it was holding a contest on cartoons of the Holocaust in response to the publishing in European papers of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.
'It will be an international cartoon contest about the Holocaust,' said Farid Mortazavi, the graphics editor for Hamshahri newspaper - which is published by Teheran's conservative municipality.
He said the plan was to turn the tables on the assertion that newspapers can print offensive material in the name of freedom of expression.
'The Western papers printed these sacrilegious cartoons on the pretext of freedom of expression, so let's see if they mean what they say and also print these Holocaust cartoons,' he said."
From: Agence France-Presse
From correspondents in Tehran
February 07, 2006
IRAN'S largest selling newspaper announced today it was holding a contest on cartoons of the Holocaust in response to the publishing in European papers of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.
'It will be an international cartoon contest about the Holocaust,' said Farid Mortazavi, the graphics editor for Hamshahri newspaper - which is published by Teheran's conservative municipality.
He said the plan was to turn the tables on the assertion that newspapers can print offensive material in the name of freedom of expression.
'The Western papers printed these sacrilegious cartoons on the pretext of freedom of expression, so let's see if they mean what they say and also print these Holocaust cartoons,' he said."
Jacko may sing late Pope's prayers - Breaking news - Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au
Jacko may sing late Pope's prayers - Breaking news - Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au: "Jacko may sing late Pope's prayers
From: Reuters
From correspondents in Rome
February 07, 2006
POP star Michael Jackson could sing some of the prayers written by the late Pope John Paul, the head of the music company coordinating the project said today.
Father Giuseppe Moscati of the Edizioni Musicali Terzo Millennio, which specialises in church music and organises musical events at the Vatican, said his company had the rights to 24 of Pope John Paul's prayers and wanted to put together a group of international artists to set them to music.
'We have been contacted by people close to Michael Jackson who have expressed interest and we are thinking about it,' Father Moscati said.
He dismissed the recent controversy surrounding Jackson, who is living in Bahrain after a Californian court acquitted him of child molestation charges last June.
'He has been cleared of all charges,' Father Moscati said.
'As a celebrity he is perhaps a bit remote from the teachings contained in the Pope's prayers. But if he can help us put together a group of singers that fulfil the criteria of the project, then we'll study the proposal,' he said.
Advertisement:
Vatican deputy spokesman Father Ciro Benedettini said the Vatican was not involved in the initiative.
The Catholic church has been rocked by a US priestly sexual abuse scandal that began in Boston in 2002, when it emerged that priests who had abused children and teenagers were transferred from parish to parish instead of being defrocked.
Jackson, originally from Indiana, rose to fame as a child with his brothers in the Jackson 5, and became one of the world's most successful singers. Thriller, from 1982, is one of the biggest-selling albums of all time."
From: Reuters
From correspondents in Rome
February 07, 2006
POP star Michael Jackson could sing some of the prayers written by the late Pope John Paul, the head of the music company coordinating the project said today.
Father Giuseppe Moscati of the Edizioni Musicali Terzo Millennio, which specialises in church music and organises musical events at the Vatican, said his company had the rights to 24 of Pope John Paul's prayers and wanted to put together a group of international artists to set them to music.
'We have been contacted by people close to Michael Jackson who have expressed interest and we are thinking about it,' Father Moscati said.
He dismissed the recent controversy surrounding Jackson, who is living in Bahrain after a Californian court acquitted him of child molestation charges last June.
'He has been cleared of all charges,' Father Moscati said.
'As a celebrity he is perhaps a bit remote from the teachings contained in the Pope's prayers. But if he can help us put together a group of singers that fulfil the criteria of the project, then we'll study the proposal,' he said.
Advertisement:
Vatican deputy spokesman Father Ciro Benedettini said the Vatican was not involved in the initiative.
The Catholic church has been rocked by a US priestly sexual abuse scandal that began in Boston in 2002, when it emerged that priests who had abused children and teenagers were transferred from parish to parish instead of being defrocked.
Jackson, originally from Indiana, rose to fame as a child with his brothers in the Jackson 5, and became one of the world's most successful singers. Thriller, from 1982, is one of the biggest-selling albums of all time."
The Observer | UK News | The cure for your allergy: a hookworm
The Observer | UK News | The cure for your allergy: a hookworm: "The cure for your allergy: a hookworm
Jo Revill, health editor
Sunday February 5, 2006
The Observer
A team of British scientists investigating whether a tiny tropical hookworm could provide a cure for asthma and hay fever have committed the ultimate act of bravery by infecting themselves with the parasite to observe the effects.
The experts wanted to see if there would be any unpleasant or dangerous side effects from the worm, Ancylostoma duodenale, so they made the bold decision to allow their own bodies to be infected. Each scientist had to stick some of the tiny hookworm larvae on to their skin with a plaster and wait for the larvae to wriggle through the skin into the lungs, through the bloodstream and into the intestine, where they would produce eggs. The eggs are excreted, but once the adult hookworms are in the gut they start to suck blood from the walls of the intestine. The theory is that this infection triggers an immune response which helps to 'dampen down' the over-reaction of the rest of the system, which is why patients with allergies such as asthma develop symptoms.
Professor David Pritchard and his team at Nottingham University's School of Pharmacy administered different amounts of the hookworms to themselves to prove that it would be safe. Pritchard himself stuck 50 of the larvae onto his skin. 'It was fairly itchy when they first go through the skin,' he admitted. 'After that you don't really notice them.'
The trials proved that at a low 'dosage' of 10 worms the infection was safe. Last week the first patients arrived at the school of pharmacy to have the hookworm larvae administered, to see if it would quell hay fever symptoms. Pritchard said: 'The pollen season is coming in spring and we hope that we might see an alleviation of symptoms in some of the patients who received the worms. If we think there's some indication of success, we would move on to asthma patients.'
In the Seventies doctors first noticed that people infected with hookworms did not seem to suffer from allergies such as asthma, and scientists have reported that Crohn's disease also does not appear in countries where the infection is rife. Pritchard wants to see if the hookworms are influencing regulatory T-cells, which seem to keep the immune responses in check. 'If we can work out how these cells are switched on, then the pharmaceutical industry could become involved.'"
Jo Revill, health editor
Sunday February 5, 2006
The Observer
A team of British scientists investigating whether a tiny tropical hookworm could provide a cure for asthma and hay fever have committed the ultimate act of bravery by infecting themselves with the parasite to observe the effects.
The experts wanted to see if there would be any unpleasant or dangerous side effects from the worm, Ancylostoma duodenale, so they made the bold decision to allow their own bodies to be infected. Each scientist had to stick some of the tiny hookworm larvae on to their skin with a plaster and wait for the larvae to wriggle through the skin into the lungs, through the bloodstream and into the intestine, where they would produce eggs. The eggs are excreted, but once the adult hookworms are in the gut they start to suck blood from the walls of the intestine. The theory is that this infection triggers an immune response which helps to 'dampen down' the over-reaction of the rest of the system, which is why patients with allergies such as asthma develop symptoms.
Professor David Pritchard and his team at Nottingham University's School of Pharmacy administered different amounts of the hookworms to themselves to prove that it would be safe. Pritchard himself stuck 50 of the larvae onto his skin. 'It was fairly itchy when they first go through the skin,' he admitted. 'After that you don't really notice them.'
The trials proved that at a low 'dosage' of 10 worms the infection was safe. Last week the first patients arrived at the school of pharmacy to have the hookworm larvae administered, to see if it would quell hay fever symptoms. Pritchard said: 'The pollen season is coming in spring and we hope that we might see an alleviation of symptoms in some of the patients who received the worms. If we think there's some indication of success, we would move on to asthma patients.'
In the Seventies doctors first noticed that people infected with hookworms did not seem to suffer from allergies such as asthma, and scientists have reported that Crohn's disease also does not appear in countries where the infection is rife. Pritchard wants to see if the hookworms are influencing regulatory T-cells, which seem to keep the immune responses in check. 'If we can work out how these cells are switched on, then the pharmaceutical industry could become involved.'"
6.2.06
Laugh Doctor's Love Survey Reveals Notable Results About Smiles: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance
Laugh Doctor's Love Survey Reveals Notable Results About Smiles: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance: "LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent survey conducted by the Laugh Doctor, Dr. Cliff Kuhn, 90 percent of women ranked smiles and friendliness ahead of physical appearance when gauging someone's approachability revealing that the ability to smile and to have fun help to attract the opposite sex.
'Wearing a smile appears to be the magnet that will pull someone in faster than dress or other physical attributes, and that's consistent with my field work over the past 35 years,' stated Dr. Kuhn.
Dr. Kuhn, a nationally recognized self improvement guru and personal performance coach says that smiling can enhance sexuality because it immediately decreases stress and fills people with energy and creativity.
'Laughter and a playful sense of humor create an age-old bond that not only brings people together but keeps them together,' stated Dr. Kuhn."
'Wearing a smile appears to be the magnet that will pull someone in faster than dress or other physical attributes, and that's consistent with my field work over the past 35 years,' stated Dr. Kuhn.
Dr. Kuhn, a nationally recognized self improvement guru and personal performance coach says that smiling can enhance sexuality because it immediately decreases stress and fills people with energy and creativity.
'Laughter and a playful sense of humor create an age-old bond that not only brings people together but keeps them together,' stated Dr. Kuhn."
Sex - Dark Side of the Moon: Laugh - A Matter Of Sex
Sex - Dark Side of the Moon: Laugh - A Matter Of Sex: "'Men see being funny as a male thing. When forced to choose between humour production and humour appreciation in potential partners, women valued humour production. Men valued receptivity to their own humour.'"
Indian groom quits wedding midway for lack of dowry - Yahoo! News
Indian groom quits wedding midway for lack of dowry - Yahoo! News: "Although the demanding and giving of a dowry was officially banned in 1961, the practice continues.
Every year, about 6,000 women are killed in India -- often doused with kerosene and set on fire in staged kitchen 'accidents' -- or harassed into suicide by husbands and in-laws angered by unmet dowry demands."
Every year, about 6,000 women are killed in India -- often doused with kerosene and set on fire in staged kitchen 'accidents' -- or harassed into suicide by husbands and in-laws angered by unmet dowry demands."
Pocket-lint.co.uk Google delists BMW Germany for foul play news story
Pocket-lint.co.uk Google delists BMW Germany for foul play news story: "Google delists BMW Germany for foul play
05 February 2006 - Google has flexed its muscles and dropped BMW Germany from its search engine following the German car manufacturer’s attempts to artificially boost its popularity ranking.
The move is likely to send shockwaves through the Internet industry over fears that one company has such power and effect over a websites access to the public.
The delisting was reported by Matt Cutts, a software engineer at Google, who works to stop websites tricking the system by featuring hidden text or different content from what the website visitor sees. "
05 February 2006 - Google has flexed its muscles and dropped BMW Germany from its search engine following the German car manufacturer’s attempts to artificially boost its popularity ranking.
The move is likely to send shockwaves through the Internet industry over fears that one company has such power and effect over a websites access to the public.
The delisting was reported by Matt Cutts, a software engineer at Google, who works to stop websites tricking the system by featuring hidden text or different content from what the website visitor sees. "
ABC News: Eye Scan Technology Comes to Schools
ABC News: Eye Scan Technology Comes to Schools: "Jan. 25, 2006 — Parents who want to pick up their kids at school in one New Jersey district now can submit to iris scans, as the technology that helps keep our nation's airports and hotels safe begins to make its way further into American lives.
The Freehold Borough School District launched this high-tech, high-wattage security system on Monday with funding from the Department of Justice as part of a study on the system's effectiveness.
As many as four adults can be designated to pick up each child in the district, but in order to be authorized to come into school, they will be asked to register with the district's iris recognition security and visitor management system. At this point, the New Jersey program is not mandatory.
When picking up a child, the adult provides a driver's license and then submits to an eye scan. If the iris image camera recognizes his or her eyes, the door clicks open. If someone tries to slip in behind an authorized person, the system triggers a siren and red flashing lights in the front office. The entire process takes just seconds."
The Freehold Borough School District launched this high-tech, high-wattage security system on Monday with funding from the Department of Justice as part of a study on the system's effectiveness.
As many as four adults can be designated to pick up each child in the district, but in order to be authorized to come into school, they will be asked to register with the district's iris recognition security and visitor management system. At this point, the New Jersey program is not mandatory.
When picking up a child, the adult provides a driver's license and then submits to an eye scan. If the iris image camera recognizes his or her eyes, the door clicks open. If someone tries to slip in behind an authorized person, the system triggers a siren and red flashing lights in the front office. The entire process takes just seconds."
InformationWeek | GPS | LA Cops Fight Car Chases With GPS Devices | February 3, 2006
InformationWeek | GPS | LA Cops Fight Car Chases With GPS Devices | February 3, 2006: "LA Cops Fight Car Chases With GPS Devices
Los Angeles police will propel a GPS device onto a fleeing car. The device will stick to the car and track its location. That'll hopefully reduce dangerous high-speed chases. "
Los Angeles police will propel a GPS device onto a fleeing car. The device will stick to the car and track its location. That'll hopefully reduce dangerous high-speed chases. "
BBC NEWS | Health | Acupuncture 'deactivates brain'
BBC NEWS | Health | Acupuncture 'deactivates brain': "'We have found something quite unexpected - that acupuncture is having a measurable effect on the human brain.
'We are not suggesting that it should be used during surgery, although it is in China, but just that it acts as a pain relief and should be taken seriously.'"
'We are not suggesting that it should be used during surgery, although it is in China, but just that it acts as a pain relief and should be taken seriously.'"
MuniWireless � Blog Archive � “The $200 Billion Broadband Scandal.” — AKA Where’s the 45MB/s I Already Paid for!
MuniWireless � Blog Archive � “The $200 Billion Broadband Scandal.” — AKA Where’s the 45MB/s I Already Paid for!: "The fiber optic infrastructure you paid for was never delivered... "
5.2.06
The End of the Internet?
The End of the Internet?: "Mining Your Data
At the core of the new power held by phone and cable companies are tools delivering what is known as 'deep packet inspection.' With these tools, AT&T and others can readily know the packets of information you are receiving online--from e-mail, to websites, to sharing of music, video and software downloads.
These 'deep packet inspection' technologies are partly designed to make sure that the Internet pipeline doesn't become so congested it chokes off the delivery of timely communications. Such products have already been sold to universities and large businesses that want to more economically manage their Internet services. They are also being used to limit some peer-to-peer downloading, especially for music.
But these tools are also being promoted as ways that companies, such as Comcast and Bell South, can simply grab greater control over the Internet. For example, in a series of recent white papers, Internet technology giant Cisco urges these companies to 'meter individual subscriber usage by application,' as individuals' online travels are 'tracked' and 'integrated with billing systems.' Such tracking and billing is made possible because they will know 'the identity and profile of the individual subscriber,' 'what the subscriber is doing' and 'where the subscriber resides.'
Will Google, Amazon and the other companies successfully fight the plans of the Bells and cable companies? Ultimately, they are likely to cut a deal because they, too, are interested in monetizing our online activities. After all, as Cisco notes, content companies and network providers will need to 'cooperate with each other to leverage their value proposition.' They will be drawn by the ability of cable and phone companies to track 'content usage...by subscriber,' and where their online services can be 'protected from piracy, metered, and appropriately valued.'"
At the core of the new power held by phone and cable companies are tools delivering what is known as 'deep packet inspection.' With these tools, AT&T and others can readily know the packets of information you are receiving online--from e-mail, to websites, to sharing of music, video and software downloads.
These 'deep packet inspection' technologies are partly designed to make sure that the Internet pipeline doesn't become so congested it chokes off the delivery of timely communications. Such products have already been sold to universities and large businesses that want to more economically manage their Internet services. They are also being used to limit some peer-to-peer downloading, especially for music.
But these tools are also being promoted as ways that companies, such as Comcast and Bell South, can simply grab greater control over the Internet. For example, in a series of recent white papers, Internet technology giant Cisco urges these companies to 'meter individual subscriber usage by application,' as individuals' online travels are 'tracked' and 'integrated with billing systems.' Such tracking and billing is made possible because they will know 'the identity and profile of the individual subscriber,' 'what the subscriber is doing' and 'where the subscriber resides.'
Will Google, Amazon and the other companies successfully fight the plans of the Bells and cable companies? Ultimately, they are likely to cut a deal because they, too, are interested in monetizing our online activities. After all, as Cisco notes, content companies and network providers will need to 'cooperate with each other to leverage their value proposition.' They will be drawn by the ability of cable and phone companies to track 'content usage...by subscriber,' and where their online services can be 'protected from piracy, metered, and appropriately valued.'"
AOL and Yahoo take lead in putting price on e-mail - Business - International Herald Tribune
AOL and Yahoo take lead in putting price on e-mail - Business - International Herald Tribune: "NEW YORK Companies will soon have to buy the electronic equivalent of a postage stamp if they want to be certain that their e-mail will be delivered to many of their customers.
America Online and Yahoo, two of the world's largest providers of e-mail accounts, are about to start using a system that gives preferential treatment to messages from companies that pay from a quarter of a cent to one cent each to have them delivered. The Internet companies say this will help them identify legitimate mail and cut down on junk e-mail, identity-theft scams and other scourges.
The two companies also stand to earn millions of dollars a year from the system if it is widely adopted."
America Online and Yahoo, two of the world's largest providers of e-mail accounts, are about to start using a system that gives preferential treatment to messages from companies that pay from a quarter of a cent to one cent each to have them delivered. The Internet companies say this will help them identify legitimate mail and cut down on junk e-mail, identity-theft scams and other scourges.
The two companies also stand to earn millions of dollars a year from the system if it is widely adopted."
Networking Pipeline | Blog | Google: We Won't Pay Broadband Cyberextortion
Networking Pipeline | Blog | Google: We Won't Pay Broadband Cyberextortion: "Google: We Won't Pay Broadband Cyberextortion
BellSouth and Verizon have been trying to force big Web sites to pay extortion-type fees if the sites want adequate bandwidth, with Google a prime target. But Google has news for them: It won't pay.
Google told Networking Pipeline's Paul Kapustka in no uncertain terms that it won't give in to the cyberextortion. And despite reports to the contrary, Google says, it isn't talking with any carriers about the issue.
Google's Barry Schnitt told Paul in an email: 'Google is not discussing sharing of the costs of broadband networks with any carrier. We believe consumers are already paying to support broadband access to the Internet through subscription fees and, as a result, consumers should have the freedom to use this connection without limitations.'
Google has that absolutely right. We're all already paying through the nose for Internet access, especially compared with the low access prices in the rest of the world. Good for Google for standing up to this cyberextortion.
The BellSouths and Verizons of the world should focus on offering better services at lower prices -- not trying to fine-tune the Tony Soprano business model. That's been tried already, by a company you may have heard of, called Enron. And look where it got them."
BellSouth and Verizon have been trying to force big Web sites to pay extortion-type fees if the sites want adequate bandwidth, with Google a prime target. But Google has news for them: It won't pay.
Google told Networking Pipeline's Paul Kapustka in no uncertain terms that it won't give in to the cyberextortion. And despite reports to the contrary, Google says, it isn't talking with any carriers about the issue.
Google's Barry Schnitt told Paul in an email: 'Google is not discussing sharing of the costs of broadband networks with any carrier. We believe consumers are already paying to support broadband access to the Internet through subscription fees and, as a result, consumers should have the freedom to use this connection without limitations.'
Google has that absolutely right. We're all already paying through the nose for Internet access, especially compared with the low access prices in the rest of the world. Good for Google for standing up to this cyberextortion.
The BellSouths and Verizons of the world should focus on offering better services at lower prices -- not trying to fine-tune the Tony Soprano business model. That's been tried already, by a company you may have heard of, called Enron. And look where it got them."
World news from The Times and the Sunday Times - Times Online
World news from The Times and the Sunday Times - Times Online: "PRESIDENT BUSH had plans to lure Saddam Hussein into war by flying an aircraft over Iraq painted in UN colours in the hope he would shoot it down, a book reveals."
Technology, Technology news, Times Online
Technology, Technology news, Times Online: "Google has long been rumoured to be planning to launch a PC to retail for less than $100. The Google computers are likely to be low-grade machines that require a connection to Google to be able to perform functions such as word processing and spreadsheet manipulations. While using the computers, it is understood that consumers will be shown personalised advertising from the company's AdWords network.
The various reports prompted analysts Bear Stearns to note last year: 'We think Google could be experimenting with new hardware endeavours that could significantly change potential future applications by Google, creating another advantage for Google over its competitors. Investors may currently under appreciate Google as a potential hardware company.'
The technology industry has also been alive with talk that the Google $100 machines will be less like a standard home PC and more like a television: in effect, one of the first convergent devices betweem the internet and television. While offering the standard PC applications, the 'Google Cube' will also offer interactive content from a variety of sources while retaining Google branding and displaying Google advertising.
A leading content provider, who did not wish to be named, told Times Online: 'We are in discussions with Google to provide content for their alternative internet service, to be distributed through their Google Cube product. As far as I'm aware they have been conducting negotiations with a number of other players in our marketplace to provide quality content to their users.'
However, industry insiders fear that the development of a network of Google Cubes powered over a Google-owned internet network will greatly increase the power that Google wields over online publishers and internet users.
Should Google successfully launch an alternative network, it is is theoretically possible for them to block out competitor websites and only allow users to access websites that have paid Google to be shown to their users."
The various reports prompted analysts Bear Stearns to note last year: 'We think Google could be experimenting with new hardware endeavours that could significantly change potential future applications by Google, creating another advantage for Google over its competitors. Investors may currently under appreciate Google as a potential hardware company.'
The technology industry has also been alive with talk that the Google $100 machines will be less like a standard home PC and more like a television: in effect, one of the first convergent devices betweem the internet and television. While offering the standard PC applications, the 'Google Cube' will also offer interactive content from a variety of sources while retaining Google branding and displaying Google advertising.
A leading content provider, who did not wish to be named, told Times Online: 'We are in discussions with Google to provide content for their alternative internet service, to be distributed through their Google Cube product. As far as I'm aware they have been conducting negotiations with a number of other players in our marketplace to provide quality content to their users.'
However, industry insiders fear that the development of a network of Google Cubes powered over a Google-owned internet network will greatly increase the power that Google wields over online publishers and internet users.
Should Google successfully launch an alternative network, it is is theoretically possible for them to block out competitor websites and only allow users to access websites that have paid Google to be shown to their users."
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