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Issue no. 42, 2004 Published: Dec 17, 2004
Europe presses ahead on sat-nav
Studios launch campaign against BitTorrent
MS negotiations spur Dutch MPs into joint action
Two new domain names get preliminary approval
Toshiba puts quantum crypto into practice
Google links to libraries
Bipedal robot learns to run
Virtual island sells for $26,500 in cyber assets

Europe presses ahead on sat-nav
The Galileo satellite navigation system will soon become a reality after being given final approval in Brussels. European transport ministers agreed to the next phase of the project - the construction and launch of spacecraft. It is expected the European network will have orbiting satellites in place to begin operations beyond 2008. Galileo is expected to drive a multi-billion-euro industry in which receivers find their way into many more markets - from consumer devices such as mobile phones to safety-critical applications such as guided trains and buses. The final constellation of 30 satellites will double the spacecraft providing the American Global Positioning System, greatly improving the quality of signals users can receive. The first demonstrator spacecraft should be launched next year. Although 2008 is supposed to be the start time for Galileo, commentators say the system will not be fully operational for some years after this date.
BBC News Dec 10, 2004	back to top

Studios launch campaign against BitTorrent
Hollywood stepped up its battle against internet pirates this week when the Motion Picture Association of America launched a legal battle against the filesharing networks BitTorrent and eDonkey. Both networks are widely used to trade pirated movies online. The association is working with police in the US and Europe to target individuals involved in the setting up of the filesharing facilities, as opposed to those using them, or the software companies behind the programs. BitTorrent itself is a piece of file transfer software, but the MPAA's targets are those who provide links to pirated files. Nearly 7,000 individuals have been targeted during the MPAA's two-year battle against online piracy, but the cross-border legal actions mark a new stage in the operation. More than 100 server operators around the world are being prosecuted, said the MPAA. In the US the actions are mainly being pursued through the civil courts, while in Europe several criminal prosecutions are being undertaken.
The Guardian Dec 15, 2004	back to top

MS negotiations spur Dutch MPs into joint action
A row has broken out in the Netherlands over a government proposal to install Microsoft software on 245,000 desktop computers. The potential contract, which would run for five years and be worth €147m, has been questioned by several Dutch MPs who say it contravenes the Dutch government's policy on open-source software. It also appears to have been awarded without the Dutch government offering it for public tender. MPs from three opposition parties and from one of the three parties in Holland's coalition government are unhappy about the deal and have questioned three ministers about the deal. The MPs asked how this deal could be in agreement with the parliament's previous decision to move the whole government to open source and open standards by 2006. This decision was unanimously passed by the Dutch parliament in 2002. The ministers were also asked whether the government had released a public tender for this contract, which is a requirement for projects that cost €236,000 or more.
Silicon.com / Webwereld Dec 13, 2004	back to top

Two new domain names get preliminary approval
The internet's key oversight agency gave a preliminary nod Monday to new domain names targeting mobile services and the jobs market. Sponsored by leading mobile phone and technology companies, including Nokia, Microsoft and T-Mobile, the '.mobi' domain would set apart websites and other services that are specially designed to work around the limitations of cell phones, including their smaller screen size and data capacity. The '.jobs' suffix, meanwhile, would go to members of the human resources community. A company might keep job postings at 'Company.jobs', rather than force visitors to navigate the main site, whose home page tends to have only general information about a company and its products.
TechReview / AP Dec 15, 2004	back to top

Toshiba puts quantum crypto into practice
Toshiba Research Europe has demonstrated what it claims is the world's first reliable automated quantum cryptography system. The system, which has run continuously since it was set in motion last week, relies on single photons to transmit an untappable key over standard optical fibres, the company said. It is capable of delivering thousands of keys a second and can be effective over distances of more than 100 kilometres. Toshiba said it is already in talks with a number of telecommunications companies and end users in preparation for the commercialisation of the technology, which offers the possibility of significantly more secure networking.
ZDNet UK Dec 13, 2004	back to top

Google links to libraries
The old library card catalogue took a step further into cyberspace Tuesday, with Google and the libraries of four universities and the city of New York announcing a partnership with the potential to make millions of books available and searchable online. The University of Michigan and Stanford are the only libraries to agree to have all of their contents scanned and uploaded to Google's vast cyber-library, but more seem certain to follow. Harvard is offering a limited pilot program of 40,000 randomly selected books, covering a range of age and condition, both in and out of copyright, with an eye toward adding more after an evaluation of the initial program. The New York Public Library and Oxford are limiting their offerings to works in the public domain, which can be made available online for free. For works that are still covered under an existing copyright, the search engine will provide a snippet of text and refer users to publishers or libraries where the work can be found.
CNN Dec 14, 2004	back to top

Bipedal robot learns to run
The latest version of Honda's humanoid robot Asimo can perform several new tricks thanks to a hardware overhaul. In a demonstration in Japan, the robot showed off the ability to run for the first time. A short video released by the Japanese car manufacturer shows Asimov jogging along. The robot can be said to be running because during each stride both its feet are in the air at the same time. Asimov would not be able to match a human in a sprint, however. The robot is only capable of a restrained 3 km per hour. Running on two legs is substantial technical challenge for roboticists because rapidly moving each leg easily upsets a robot's balance. To deal with this problem, Asimov's designers installed two new joints with their own balance sensors in the robot's hips. These allow it make adjustments as it runs to prevent slipping or falling over. New joints in Asimo's hands also make the robot more dexterous and another in its neck allows it to tilt its head to one side.
New Scientist Dec 16, 2004	back to top

Virtual island sells for $26,500 in cyber assets
A treasure island that exists only as computer bytes within an online role-playing game has been sold for the equivalent of $26,500, the company behind the game announced on Tuesday. The island, located off a newly discovered continent on the planet Calypso in the computer game Project Entropia, was bought by David Storey, a 22-year-old player based in Australia. Storey outbid another player during an auction lasting several months and paid 265,000 Project Entropia Dollars (PEDs) for the property. Project Entropia is unique among 'massive multiplayer online role-playing' games (MMPORGs) in that virtual money can be exchanged for real cash and vice-versa through a currency exchange inside the game. This is the most anyone has ever paid for any single item in an online game, says Edward Castronova, an expert in the economics of virtual worlds. 'If you think Project Entropia is going to grow and be a very successful game, this could be a very profitable investment indeed,' he said.
New Scientist Dec 15, 2004	back to top