Government Investigating Claims Of Unauthorized Monitoring
Ottawa- The commissioner of Privacy for the government of Canada is investigating some claims that Internet service providers in Canada are monitoring the online behavior and activities of some customers without their permission.
The issues centers around a practice called Deep Packet Inspection, which is a method that some Internet service providers use slow down sectors of Internet Traffic that are taking more than their share of bandwidth in the option of the supervising ISP operators.
The University of Ottawa’s Canadian Public Interest Clinic and Internet Policy organization is saying that such a practice is against the privacy legislation currently on the books in Canada. (more…)
Microsoft Starts New Online Service To Be Available In 20 Countries
London- There will be a new kid on the block on Internet Video Services with the introduction of Messenger TV, new from Microsoft.
It is a service that will offer clips of MSN Video including music and video clips from popular television shows that can be swapped and traded while users are chatting online in Windows Live Messenger Instant messenger program.
It is a brand new service by Microsoft that promises to be a state of the art revolution. It is to be available in 20 countries and will allow friends to chat and watch video clips at the same time.
This is a sort of experiment by Microsoft, in an attempt to try something new and bold and to try and create a new sort of social experience. They are banking that it will catch on and become in demand, and that it will then be expanded to other countries. (more…)
New MS Outlook Plug In Program Organizes Your Inbox
San Francisco, CA- If you use email very much at all, then its likely you have used the MS Outlook program at one time or another. The program is a good one, but it is over ten years old, and it is being asked to do things it was never designed to do.
Enter Xobni. A small group of software designers has brought to market a plug in for the MS Outlook program. “People are trying to make Outlook do things and putting stress on the program it was never meant to face,” said Mr. Smith.
Adam Smith, along with co-designers Jeff Bonforte and Matt Brezina have designed and brought to the marketplace the new Xobni plug in for MS Outlook.
It is a program that acts as a sidebar inside the Outlook program. At this time it is a free, downloadable plug in that serves to sort and index your email, to make access and associations inside your inbox a little easier.
For personal use it is free, but the new software developers hope to sell product licenses for those who wish to use it for business usage. It is one program in a series of new “intelligent filter,” type software that is being released to the marketplace in recent months.
The Xobni software also reportedly recognizes the social relationships between different email authors and the recipient. Early demand for their product is high, but it remains to be seen if companies will see the benefits of the Xobni software as something they are willing to invest in and use.
Emergency Services Issue Caution About 911 Usage
Edmonton- The public emergency services department in Edmonton has issues a broad warning for the public about the use of Voice Over Internet Protocol telephones that use the Internet for connection.
The department is warning the public that it is essential that they ensure that the 911 address that is on file with their Internet Phone provider be accurate and up to date, to avoid a reoccurrence of the tragedy that occurred last week.
Little Elijah Luck of Calgary perished while ambulances were sent to the family former home, instead of their actual residence in Calgary. Elijah was just 18 months old and experiencing distress when his family, who have Comwave VoIP telephone service called 911 for help. (more…)
Leading Toronto City Program Safety Planner Offers Helpful Hints
Toronto- When you strap a child onto your bicycle there are some safety issue that you want to be sure and address, besides the obvious like everyone should wear a helmet.
When you mount a car seat on your bicycle, you have some issues that need to be examined before you and your child set off into the sunset. (more…)
How And When The Weapon Is To Be Utilized Will Be Examined
Vancouver, B.C.- The first phase of inquiry regarding the use of Tasers by the police in British Columbia is to begin today. The initial inquiry is led by British Columbia retired Justice Thomas Braidwood, who will examine the issue and make recommendations based on his findings.
The initial phase will examine the training that police officers get for using the Taser device, the rules in which it can be used, and various medical evidence about usage of the devices.
In a second round of inquiries Justice Braidwood will examine the death and circumstances which surround the events leading up to Robert Dziekanski untimely demise. This part of the inquiry may remain on hold for an indefinite time period as charges have not been decided, if any, in the case and the case is still pending.
Dziekanski was a 40-year-old polish man who was tasered at the Vancouver International Airport in October 2007, who subsequently died after being struck with the Taser device. Mr. Dziekanski did not speak English and had never been on an aircraft before.
Apparently Mr. Dziekanski was confused and wandered around the airport for nearly 10 hours before becoming angry. At the end, just before he was Tasered by police he became violent and tossed a computer off of a desk in the airport terminal.
RCMP officers tried to talk to Mr. Dziekanski but he did not understand, and after no response when Mr. Dziekanski became wild and violent they Tasered him twice.
Shortly afterward Mr. Dziekanski died at the airport, apparently from the Taser device. A subsequent autopsy showed no drugs or alcohol in Mr. Dziekanski’s system.
Gamers Around The Country Report Errors And Difficult Play
Toronto - After the first day of release there are reports coming in that the new Grand Theft Auto IV video game appears to have some problems.
Users are reporting that the game is freezing up during the introduction, and other scenes, and problems are being reported on both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 game stations.
Gamers are complaining that they are not able to get to the online features of the game, or that after purchasing the game and returning home that they are not able to get past the introduction screens.
This is potentially a huge problem for Rockstar Video Games, the manufacturer of the game. The video game has been alive with anticipation buzz for nearly a year, and this could radically affect the sales for the new game release.
Before these problems were reported, sales for the game were projected to top $400 million dollars. Now, with the new problems, it will be interesting to see how the projected sales for the new video game will be affected. (more…)
Communication Company Announced Apple Product To Be Featured
Toronto - In an announcement shortly before quarterly revenue results were scheduled to be released Rogers Communication stated they would be bringing the popular iPhone to market in Canada before the end of 2008.
“We are ecstatic that Apple as agreed to a deal with us for the iPhone,” said Ted Rogers. “We can’t say to much more about it but keep tuned in, we will be able to share more information later,” said Mr. Rogers.
Ted Rogers is the CEO and spokesman for the communications giant Rogers Communications. (more…)
Nintendo Products Rule Retail Charts As Results Are Tallied
Kobe, Japan- The recent release of sales results for each of the main Game Systems and software continues to show the dominance of the Wii and DS systems by Nintendo.
Wii sales alone worldwide have contributed to sales of 18.61 million units in the last fiscal year, which amounts to over 24.5 million units that have sold since its release. (more…)
Internet Giant Claims Web Throttling Necessary and Legit
Ottawa- Despite the official complaint of small ISP’s that claims it is an act of bad faith and unfair to their core business, Canada Bell has finally responded to the complaint filed against it.
The Smaller Internet Service Providers, CAIP Internet Providers, made the complaint.
CAIP had acted swiftly after Canada Bell had started to regulate Internet traffic. The Canadian Association of Internet Providers is made up of over 50 smaller Internet Service Providers, and they maintain that the actions by Canada Bell amounts to unfair business practices.
The group is asking the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission to take action to make Canada bell cease and desist any and all actions to regulate or “traffic shaping activity.” (more…)