btw.net Weblog

	Friday, December 6, 2002

DigitalGovernmentOnline, December 2002

Bridging the Data Gap
Scientists at the Digital Government Research Center are using metadata, machine translation and database mapping to find ways of connecting citizens with valuable government data locked up inside vast, complex and heterogeneous databases.

12:40:33 PM

Fraudit helps registrars battle global online fraud. The new product, developed by the CEO of Alice's Registry Inc., is the first to provide registrars with fast, accurate registrant data validation. [Source: Computerworld News; 12/6/02; 4:43:29 AM.]

Task force report looks at accuracy of Whois data. While the study, released by the Whois Task Force, discusses ways to quickly correct inaccurate data, it doesn't lay out proactive measures to screen out incorrect registration information. [Source: Computerworld News; 12/6/02; 4:43:28 AM.]

5:50:15 AM

FTC moves to ease telemarketing calls. The agency this month is expected to OK the creation of a national do-not-call list to help consumers block telemarketing calls. Any move on spam, however, could take years. [Computerworld News]
5:41:26 AM

New company, Cometa, created to push nationwide Wi-Fi. AT&T, IBM and Intel today unwrapped plans for a nationwide Wi-Fi hot spot network, with the deployment of Wi-Fi "hot spots" in the top 50 U.S. markets eyed for 2003. [Source: Computerworld News; 12/6/02; 4:43:29 AM.]

High-Speed Wireless Internet Network Is Planned. AT&T, I.B.M. and Intel plan a venture to offer WiFi service nationwide. The technology allows connection to the Internet at high speed without cables. By John Markoff. [Source: New York Times: Business; Business; 12/6/02; 4:43:43 AM.]

IBM, Intel, AT&T unveil US Wi-Fi JV. 20k hot spots [Source: The Register; 12/6/02; 4:43:57 AM]

5:33:27 AM

Feds Label Wi-Fi a Terrorist Tool
By Paul Boutin, Wired, 02:00 AM Dec. 06, 2002 PT

Attention, Wi-Fi users: The Department of Homeland Security sees wireless networking technology as a terrorist threat.

That was the message from experts who participated in working groups under federal cybersecurity czar Richard Clarke and shared what they learned at this week's 802.11 Planet conference. Wi-Fi manufacturers, as well as home and office users, face a clear choice, they said: Secure yourselves or be regulated.

4:58:44 AM