CQ Politics | Innovations - The Web: June 2008 Archives

Record Data Breaches Recorded This Year

June 30, 2008 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Government, businesses, and universities have reported a record-breaking number of break-ins to their databases. The Washington Post's Security Fix blog says that the Identity Theft Resource Center tracked 342 reports of data breaches between January 1 and June 27. That's a 69 percent increase over the same period last year.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

At Work On The Web

June 30, 2008 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

by Mark Stencel, Governing

Where is the best place on the Web to post a series of instructive videos for state officials about Internet security? On YouTube, of course.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers did exactly that earlier this year. Just one problem: Iowa technology leader John Gillispie, the association's president, couldn't watch the videos. State employees in the offices where he works are blocked from accessing YouTube on their work computers; it is classified as an "entertainment" Web site.

Continue reading At Work On The Web.

Everyone Needs a Gigabit by 2015

June 27, 2008 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The government must take steps to push the availability of broadband Internet access if the U.S. is to remain competitive, a telecom law firm is recommending. The Baller Herbst Law Group, in a report to a North Carolina agency, calls for 100 megabits per second of affordable access for all Americans by 2012, with 1 gigabit per second service three years later, Ars Technica reports. Like electrification, it will require government action to ensure poorer and more rural areas get service, the report says.

posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Will VoIP Kill the Telephone?

June 26, 2008 5:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The companies that offer phones calls using Voice-over-Internet Protocol, such as Skype and Vonage, currently piggyback on telephone networks when one of the parties to a call doesn't have a VoIP device, a strategy that brings the VoIP companies revenue. But an essay at GigaOm argues that this model won't last forever, as VoIP achieves greater penetration. In the long run, the writer argues, the telephone companies may go the way of the Dodo.

Web picks posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Web Pick: Washington Should Promote "Internet for Everyone," Campaign Says

June 25, 2008 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The quality and accessibility of broadband in the U.S. is falling behind that of Europe and Asia, groups from the ACLU to Google believe. So the groups have joined together in a campaign called "Internet for Everyone," to urge the next administration to make universal broadband access a priority. The Google Public Policy blog explains the company's reasons for joining the push.

posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Web Picks: New Tools for Mapping the Blogosphere

June 24, 2008 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A two-day conference in New York City this week is looking at the interaction of the Web and the political process, reports Ars Technica. At the Personal Democracy Forum's confab, researchers presented tools for mapping and modeling the blogosphere. One speaker suggested that online fundraising is not as important a use of the Internet as finding new ways to create civic institutions. New ways to conceive of bloggers and institutional relationships will aid that quest. And another noted that traditional media outlets are challenging bloggers with their own offerings during this campaign.

posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Web Pick: Facebook-Based Lending Website Seeks SEC Approval

June 23, 2008 8:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Securities and Exchange Commission will examine whether peer-to-peer lending embedded on a site like Facebook is a good idea, Tech Crunch reports. Lending Club, originally launched as a Facebook application, has filed registration forms with the government. The company suspended operations in April after the SEC told it it required regulatory approval to act as the middleman in lending deals.

posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

WiMAXed Out: Why One WiFi Option Hasn't Lived Up To Its Hype

June 19, 2008 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Ellen Perlman, Governing

It's easy to see why some people call WiMAX, a form of wireless broadband, "Wi-Fi on steroids." Rather than hotspots of connectivity -- a dot of Wi-Fi in a park here or a library there -- WiMAX promises to create a giant hotspot, large enough to cover an entire city. Wireless Internet access on such a massive scale would be valuable to governments, especially municipalities that could use it to remotely read utility meters or stream crime-scene video to police in their squad cars. So ever since state and local officials began hearing about WiMAX in 2001, they've been wondering when this ballyhooed technology would be ready for prime time.

They're still wondering.

Continue reading WiMAXed Out: Why One WiFi Option Hasn't Lived Up To Its Hype.

Web Pick: Vermont Aims at Becoming the Delaware of the Internet

June 19, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Delaware has prospered by passing business-friendly laws that encourage entrepreneurs to incorporate in that state. Now Vermont is taking advantage of a change in US law that no longer requires corporations to have physical headquarters and in-person board meetings, says GigaOm. Vermont Governor Jim Douglas has just signed a law that will allow virtual companies to incorporate in his state.

Web picks posted by Neil Savage in partnership with xconomy.com

Behavior Changes Can Reveal Worms (the Digital Kind)

June 16, 2008 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

posted by Neil Savage, xconomy.com

A new model for monitoring the Internet to identify computer infected with worms could reduce the threat of worms such as Code Red, which caused $2.6 billion in damages. Technology Review reports that researchers found they could catch worms earlier if they looked at the number of times a machine scans the Internet looking for new hosts. The key was finding the scanning rate high enough that it indicated infection without catching uninfected computers just going about their business.