Daily Bits

Internet

Internet Week Europe 2010

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We have all sorts of celebrations every month throughout the year – why not Internet Week? This is not a novel concept, but this year, the people in Europe are celebrating it for the first time in London. From the 8th of November till the 12th, the creme de la creme of Europe’s digital industry come together to celebrate the wonder that is the Internet.

There are over a hundred events lined up, with big names such as The BBC, Yahoo!, Creative Review, Google, Lonely Planet, and Channel 4 joining in on the fun. While the event is already halfway through, there are still plenty of events that you can participate in. Here are some of them:

  • The Science of Search
  • Virtual Goods Summit
  • No-nonsense Social Media
  • Social Gaming Summit
  • Yelp London’s Curry Night
  • Introduction to Google Enterprise
  • Tokyo Innovation
  • Interactive Street Game

And, that is literally just a few of the numerous events left for the week.  Lest you think that only couch potatoes are going to participate in the huge event, there is actually a Bike Ride going to be held tomorrow for cycling enthusiasts.  Who said that geeks do not like physical activity at all?

The cool thing about the whole event is that you do not need to register for the Internet Week.  You just need to visit the Internet Week web site and pick out the events that you want to participate in.  There are different instructions for each event, and some are paid, while some are free, depending on who is hosting it.  It’s not too late – if you have a bit of free time this week, go check it out!

Adios, Limewire!

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Remember that green round slice of lime? There was once a time when I saw it every day when I turned my computer on, but if I remember correctly, those days were short-lived. For some users, Limewire probably played a larger part in their lives.

Yesterday, the longstanding battle between Limewire and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) came to a halt. After four long years of battling it out in the courts, the two parties now face the end to their squabbling – to the detriment of the file sharing site. A judge from the US district court in New York has issued an injunction that forces Limewire’s features to be shut down. These are searching, downloading, uploading, and file sharing. For sure, those who still use Limewire are going to feel a sense of sadness and loss if they go to the site right now.  Try visiting the site (Limewire),  and you will be greeted by this image.

The RIAA has been the object of many a file sharer’s ire in the recent years as the group has been actively seeking out copyright violators.  This injunction is indeed a victory for them.

Limewire is not going to totally disappear from the scene, though.  While the “free stuff” cannot be accessed anymore, the people behind Limewire do have plans to come up with a system that will adhere to the law while they continue with their operations.  The question is this: will this new system make it as attractive as it was when file sharing (as we used to know it) was the main selling point?

You guys who already miss the old Limewire, I feel for you.

Domain Sells for $13M: Guess the Name?

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We all know how some people go around buying up domain names like crazy in the hopes of selling them one day for big bucks.  Of course, not every domain that you buy will make you money, but every now and then someone gets lucky.  And, when that happens, we definitely hear about it.

So going on to this domain name that recently sold for big big bucks…It was originally owned by Gary Kremen, founder of well known site Match.com.  He registered it way back in 1994, but then “lost” the domain to Stephen Cohen, a conman, two years later.  The domain eventually changed hands and ended up belonging to a group called Escom LLC, which, in turn, went bankrupt.  The bankruptcy is the reason the domain was put up for auction mid-way through this year in July.

The highest bid has been revealed at $13 million, and the entity that put in that bid is known as Clover Holdings.  Unsurprisingly, not much is known about the company except that it is registered in the Caribbean Island of St. Vincent.  The sale isn’t final as of yet – the bankruptcy court will have to give its nod of approval first (October 27 is the date for the decision).

As astronomical as $13 million may seem, this is NOT the highest amount someone has paid for a domain name.  The highest recorded price for a domain name sale is $16 million – though you have to admit, at this range, $3 million is not much.  This domain is insure.com.

Saving the best for last…what is this domain that just got sold?

sex.com

What can we say? Sex indeed sells.

Internet Soon to Have 2 Billion Users

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It’s World Statistics Day, did you know that? In keeping with that spirit, let’s take a look at some numbers today. Did you know that soon, there will be 2 billion users on the Internet? And, by soon, I mean by the end of this year. It is not a surprising figure, if you think about it. Access to computers and the Internet is becoming easier by the day, and more and more people have their own computers and Internet connection at home. This is even more applicable for those in the developing countries (for the lack of a better term), as most of the new Internet users come from those areas.

This information – and more – was released in a report by the International Telecommunication Union, which was published in The World in 2010: ICT.

162 million of the 226 million new Internet users in 2010 will be from developing countries, where Internet users grow at a higher rate. By the end of 2010, 71% of the population in developed countries will be online compared to 21% of the population in developing countries. While in developed countries 65% of people have access to the Internet at home, this is the case for only 13.5% of people in developing countries where Internet access in schools, at work and public locations is critical. Regional differences are significant: 65% of Europeans are on the Internet, compared to only 9.6% of Africans.

With the rapidly increasing high-bandwidth content and applications on the Internet, there is a growing demand for higher-speed broadband connections.

Needless to say, there are still big gaps in Internet and computer access in developed and developing countries. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, if the numbers skyrocket in the next five or so years. For sure, developing countries will work towards providing better access in the coming years.

So, if you are feeling that the Internet is getting a little too crowded, don’t be surprised – 2 billion isn’t nothing! 😉

Photo credit: mararie

Skype and Facebook to Merge?

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Got the new Skype for Windows yet?  If so, you probably have noticed that there is a new tab – a Facebook tab.  This is the result of a collaboration between the two companies.  The presence of a Facebook tab in Skype 5 for Windows implies a lot of things.

One, Skype users will be able to interact with their Facebook friends directly from Skype.  This can be done in a variety of ways – updating of status messages, commenting on other people’s status messages, and “liking” other people’s status messages and posts.  They can also see the news feed directly from Skype.

Two, there is a Facebook phonebook feature in the new Skype that will allow users to directly call – and send text messages – to their contacts from Skype.  If anything, that should be a more convenient way of getting in touch with one’s friends.

Three, group video calling is also available in beta version.  As of now, this is available on a free trial basis.

Experts have noted that this collaboration has been in the stars for a while and that it is but a logical turn of things.  Skype and Facebook have been at the forefront of their respective fields and putting their resources together is the only way to go forward.

For now, only Windows users can enjoy this integration.  For Mac and Linux users, we have to wait indefinitely.  I say indefinitely as there is still no announcement as to when they will release this version of Skype for other platforms.  I just hope that they actually do!

Afterthought: I wonder if they will be able to integrate Facebook chat?  Now THAT would be a definite improvement, don’t you think?

Beware of Scareware!

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I’ve heard of malware, but scareware?  Apparently, scammers are now playing on the fears of Windows users – fear of viruses and other malware.  In order to make money, they dupe people into thinking that their system is suffering from a relentless malware attack, hence the term scareware.  As the scammers prey upon those fears, they prompt users to download security updates that can “keep users safe.”

Obviously, they will charge for these updates.  The problem is that, one, the threat is almost always fake; and two, the security updates are just as fake.  The user who falls for this trick will end up being at least $50 poorer, without having anything to show for it!

This tactic was exposed earlier this week by Parveen Vashishtha from Symantec.  In a blog post, he outlined the modus operandi of this new breed of scammers. The trick is in knowing that browsers DO NOT ask you to download security updates via malware threat warnings.  If you do see something like the image below, chances are you are the target of a scareware scam.

If you’re thinking that people who are dumb enough to fall for this trick deserve it, think again.  The truth of the matter is that the trick seems to work so well – even some experienced users fall for it.  In fact, the scareware business has already made more than $100 million, according to the FBI.  Don’t laugh just yet.

Your safest bet is NOT to click the download button, obviously.  Of course, you also ought to make sure that your OS, security software, and browser/s are updated on a regular basis.