Mickeys

Two women paramedics were attacked in Durban Deep, west of Johannesburg, while attending to a toddler who had suffered burn wounds, reports said on Monday.

Senior Superintendent Noxolo Kweza said the two women were called out to Durban Deep in Roodepoort on Friday night after receiving a call from a desperate mother that her 2-year-old son had been burnt.

The Star newspaper reported that the two paramedics drove to a pick-up point along Main Reed road where residents are often asked to bring their patients.

The mother, her son and two men, who are family friends, waited for the paramedics there. At one stage, the mother returned home to get a jersey for her son.

“While they [the paramedics] were busy with the child in the ambulance, three armed men appeared from the bushes, threatened the two men and told them to run away, otherwise they were going to shoot them,” said Kweza.

“The two men ran down the road and the suspects took the women into the bushes.

“They raped one woman and attempted to rape the other one.”

The two men, who ran away, alerted the police and accompanied them to the scene to search for the women.

The assailants fled when the police arrived on the scene.

Beeld newspaper said the three men fled in the ambulance, which was later found abandoned in the area.

The two women had not yet made statements to the police because they had been too traumatised.

Both women were admitted to the Life Flora Clinic.

The boy was not injured in the attack and was admitted to hospital for treatment to the burn wounds.

taken from News24

Microsoft and Yahoo have received clearance from regulators in Washington and Europe to proceed with a search partnership intended to challenge Google.

The companies announced on Thursday that the partnership had been approved without restrictions by the US Justice Department and the European Commission.

Under the 10-year agreement, Microsoft’s Bing search engine will process search requests and steer search-related ads on Yahoo.

Yahoo is due to get 88% of the revenue generated from the ads placed alongside the search results on its sites.

The companies said they will begin implementing the deal in the coming days by shifting Yahoo’s search platforms to Microsoft.

They hope to move most advertisers and publishers before the 2010 holiday season, but may wait until 2011 if necessary, and expect to complete the process by early 2012.

This deal came about after the Justice Department indicated in 2008 that it would fight Yahoo’s plan to team up with Google on a search partnership. That rejection led Yahoo to turn to Microsoft, which had once offered to buy Yahoo in its entirety.

taken from News24

Beijing – Police in central China have shut down a hacker training operation that openly recruited thousands of members online and provided them with cyber attack lessons and malicious software, state media said on Monday.

The crackdown comes amid growing concern that China is a centre for a global explosion of internet crimes. Search giant Google said in January its e-mail accounts were hacked from China in an assault that also hit at least 20 other companies.

Police in Hubei province arrested three people suspected of running the hacker site known as the Black Hawk Safety Net that disseminated website hacking techniques and Trojan software, the China Daily newspaper said. Trojans, which can allow outside access to a computer when implanted, are used by hackers to illegally control computers.

Black Hawk Safety Net recruited more than 12 000 paying subscribers and collected more than seven million yuan ($1m) in membership fees, while another 170 000 people had signed up for free membership, the paper said.

The report said police seized nine servers, five computers and a car, and shut down all websites involved in the case. Authorities also froze 1.7 million yuan ($250 000) in assets.

The Hubei government refused to comment on Monday while officials at the provincial public security bureau were not immediately available.

Google threatened to pull out of China unless the government relented on censorship, an ultimatum that came after the search giant said it had uncovered a computer attack that tried to plunder its software coding and the e-mail accounts of human rights activists protesting Chinese policies.

Government officials have defended China’s online censorship and denied involvement in internet attacks, saying the country is the biggest victim of webattacks. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said hackers tampered with more than 42 000 websites in 2009.

taken form News24

Tech experts and gadget fans dampened the early hype on Thursday over Apple’s new iPad, saying the touchscreen computer tablet is not the must-have device the company claims it is.

iPad

Hours after Apple chief executive Steve Jobs unveiled its latest creation, computer and technology bloggers were divided on whether it would after all transform the way we spend our leisure time.

Users eager to judge for themselves will have to wait two months before the iPad is shipped worldwide at an entry-level price of $499.

Jobs showed off various features which include browsing the Web, checking email, working with spreadsheets and charts, playing videogames, listening to music or watching video.

While some critics predicted it would become the best-selling electronics device of 2010, others complained it has no camera or USB, can’t multi-task, can’t be used as a phone and doesn’t support Flash.

“The iPad isn’t going to be a phenomenon with either netbook users or power users,” tech blog Mashable wrote.

“The iPad isn’t the transformational device so many Apple enthusiasts were hoping for. It won’t turn all the content industries upside down, it won’t be your primary computing device and it’s not even a bigger, better iPhone.”

Still, many critics were enthused, some pronouncing it would signal the end of the road for the likes of ebook reader Kindle.

Apple said the basic iPad would be available worldwide in late March from upwards of $499, and the 3G version in April in the United States and selected countries from $629.

The device is “unlocked”, meaning buyers can pick preferred telecom service providers.

It has a 24.6cm colour screen resembling an iPhone, is less than 2cm thick, weighs 0.7kg and has flash memory of 16, 32, or 64 gigabytes.

Screen images flip between portrait and landscape modes depending on how an iPad is held.

Mobile game applications for iPhone also work on the iPad, and developers are adapting software to take advantage of the extra screen “real estate”.

It has a picture frame mode for presenting slide shows of stored photos and Google Maps coupled with geo-location software.

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More than 270,000 free laptops with broadband will be given away to low income familes under a new Government scheme.

Gordon Brown is promising a free laptop to families on a low income

Prime Minister Gordon Brown says he wants all families to be linked up to their children’s schools via the internet.

It will enable them to access reports on their attainment, behaviour and other needs.

To make that achievable, he will pledge £300m of investment to help poorer families who might not otherwise be able to afford it.

Mr Brown was addressing an international education forum in Westminster today.

“We want every family to become a broadband family, and we want every home linked to a school,” he was due to say.

“For those finding it difficult to afford this, today I can announce the nationwide rollout of our home access programme to get laptops and broadband at home for 270,000 families.

“It will mean all families can come together, learn together and reap rewards together.

“So the mother who’s worried about her son struggling with his reading can find out more about how she can help.

“Or the dad who works long hours and can’t make a parents’ evening can keep in touch with his daughter’s progress, at whatever time of the day or night that he’s free.”

The move is designed to back up the Government’s pledge that all parents will be able to access school reports about their children online.

The pledge is contained in the Children, Schools and Families Bill.

taken from SkyNews

Google is to limit the number of news articles users can read for free on its website.

Google is facing pressure over its free news provision

The search engine said it was changing its First Click Free programme so that readers would not be able to look at more than five pages in one day.

The move follows scathing criticism of Google by Rupert Murdoch over the way it provides free access to newspaper articles in his News Corp media group.

Some users have been able to get around paying subscriptions or registration by accessing news articles through Google.

But after the changes, users who click on more than five articles in a day may be routed to payment or registration pages, Google said..

Google’s senior business product manager Josh Cohen said: “Previously, each click from a user would be treated as free.

“Now, we’ve updated the programme so that publishers can limit users to no more than five pages per day without registering or subscribing.”

Mr Murdoch had threatened to block Google access to his newspaper websites.

He has accused news aggregators of “feeding off the hard-earned efforts and investments of others”.

“To be impolite it’s theft,” he said.

“Good journalism is an expensive commodity.”

Mr Murdoch says he intends to extend charging for access to some of his newspapers on the web.

The Wall Street Journal has already moved behind a pay-wall.

“We intend to expand this pay model to all our newspapers in the News Corp stable: the Times of London, The Australian, the rest,” he said.

“Some critics say people won’t pay. I believe they will.”

taken from SkyNews

Christmas is around the corner. As the fairy lights and holly are being dusted off along with all the jingly bells and whistles – you can bet your bonus-bottom-dollar that the holiday accommodation scamsters are doing the same with their trickery.

The Western Cape Office of the Consumer Protector has since issued a warning that holiday accommodation scams appear to be on the up and up as the festive season rolls round, with an increase in the number of false advertisements being placed mainly on free websites.

“Exercise caution when booking holiday accommodation especially if it is done via the internet and email,” the Protector said. “It is crucial that consumers be aware of the risks posed when responding to offers without having applied a measure of caution.”

“The majority of these ads are valid but some of them are false.”

Be on the lookout for the following:

• Money should never be deposited into another’s bank account without confirming the property exist and is available for rent.
• Do not be swayed by photographs that show a stunning property. Scam artists often forward false photographs in the hope of further enticing unsuspecting consumers. Evaluate the photos carefully as sometimes scam artists are so blatant that they claim a property is located in a particular area but on close inspection it is obvious that the photo was taken somewhere else.
• Be cautious of advertisements that supply only an email address or a cellphone number.
• Inspect potential holiday properties where possible. Someone that is unwilling to meet or let you inspect the property should be treated with caution.
• Obtain as much detail as possible on the person making the offer – including a physical address.
• Beware of advertisements that provide a discount if a deposit is made via a specific bank’s ATM. This was one of the scams doing the rounds. If the requested is substantially lower than what the rental industry charges your alarm bells should be ringing. A 50 percent deposit is usually requested by genuine service providers.
• Check the discussion boards on the particular website offering holiday accommodation for messages and warnings placed by consumers who may have been the victim of a scam doing the rounds on that particular website.
• If you have been scammed then alert others including the authorities. Scam artists rely on a consumer’s unwillingness to report incidents to the authorities Contact the local tourism bureau at the holiday destination of your choice to get a list of approved service providers or work through an accredited estate agent.

Always remember a good online booking website…

• Tells you exactly what’s included in the price
• Offer a secure booking page
• Make it clear early on how much it costs to pay with a card
• Has understandable terms and conditions
• Is cheaper than phoning or booking in person
• Has a good FAQ section to help you solve any problems

info from GoTravel24

Johannesburg – Internet service provider company iBurst has launched SA’s fastest ADSL service at 20Mbps – but the service will only be available to multi-tenant communities, such as gated communities, shopping centres and office parks.

iBurst CEO Jannie van Zyl said the service would offer impressive speed improvements, the ability to do business with a last-mile provider other than Telkom and use of existing ADSL modems and routers.

Its 20 Mbps ADSL2+ solution will cost about R400 per month and the company will also offer 5Mbps, 10Mbps and 15Mbps services at lower rates.

Subscribers will also have to purchase ADSL2+ data bundles to suit their needs, but Van Zyl points out the advantage of not being forced to purchase an additional analogue voice line rental.

“We are currently improving uplink speeds on the ADSL2+ product to 3Mbps, and have plans to launch a 40Mbps service with a 6Mbps uplink speed that will link two ADSL2+ connections,” said Van Zyl.

taken from Fin24

San Jose – eBay has completed its sale of Skype for about $2bn to an investor group that included the founders of the internet phone service.

Last week, the online auction site settled a legal skirmish with co-founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis which allowed the deal to move forward. The settlement gave Skype ownership of critical software that had been licensed from the company they founded, Joltid Ltd.

eBay said on Thursday it sold a 70% stake in the company for about $1.9bn plus $125m that it will receive at a later date. The company is keeping the remaining 30% stake.

The settlement means Zennstrom and Friis get a 14% stake in Skype. The investor group, led by Silver Lake, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Andreessen Horowitz, get 56% ownership.

San Jose, California-based Ebay Inc also purchased senior debt securities worth $50m to help finance the deal.

taken from News24

A 13-year-old blogger is facing possible attempted murder charges after his parents helped foil an alleged plot to shoot his teachers.

Gendarmes were alerted by the boy's parents

French police said the schoolboy, reportedly called Bastien, was arrested after he posted a blog entry suggesting he wanted to commit suicide and carry out a massacre.

The teenager allegedly stole his father’s hunting rifle before setting off for his Roman Catholic private secondary school in Beauvais, 55 miles north of Paris.

But his parents had noticed he was acting strangely, especially after his unusually early 7am departure to Saint Esprit college.

They raised the alarm after spotting the gun was missing and seeing the post: ”This is the last day of my life” on his blog.

Police said they quickly deployed around the 2,000-pupil school and the sight of them prompted the boy to flee.

He dumped the rifle and about 20 cartridges in a field before contacting his parents from an internet café, officers said.

Gendarmes then took him into custody. He was scheduled to undergo psychological testing.

One police official suggested the boy may have been feeling desperate about his bad grades.

Although France has strict laws governing handguns, rifles are relatively common in a country where hunting is a popular traditional pastime.

France has been spared school massacres – unlike neighbouring Germany, which has had two this year alone.

In a 2008 incident in France, teenagers fired 4.5mm BB gun ammunition at a nursery school in Lyon, slightly injuring 11 adults but no children.

story from SkyNews

Web users risk taking online freedom for granted, a senior boss from Mozilla warns on the fifth birthday of the Firefox browser.

Five years ago, Mozilla Firefox had 12 staff

A not-for-profit collaborative rival to Microsoft, Firefox has dented Intenet Explorer’s monopoly by snaring a worldwide market share of more than 23%.

Tristan Nitot, the president of Mozilla Europe, may be celebrating, but he has lost none of the passion of the Firefox “mission”.

He believes web freedoms are under threat and younger users risk becoming complacent.

“They don’t know they are lucky,” the 43-year-old told Sky News Online.

“They take for granted that the freedom they enjoy is forever. I don’t think it is like that. The internet is full of promise but the future is not bright unless we make sure it is.”

A battle over who ‘owns’ the internet and whether it should be regulated is under way and the outcome could be hugely significant, he said.

“I don’t think we should filter the internet. I think it should be neutral – that’s exactly what enables innovation.”

Censorship blights access in many countries and the companies who make web applications can exert more control than people realise.

“Applications like a browser are a set of instructions put together by a developer. It does a lot on your behalf and you lose a lot by delegating this. Its extremely important to remain in control,” he said.

Since its launch in 2004, Mozilla Firefox has grown to become a genuine contender, overtaking Microsoft in more than a dozen countries including Poland.

Recent figures suggest the company added another 30 million users in the last eight weeks.

“The last five years have been successful and quite chaotic. If you think of the early days, there were 12 employees and only volunteers,” Mr Nitot said.

“We were trying to take over Microsoft and that definitely sounded very, very silly – so if you ask me to predict the next five years I’m going to decline.”

taken from SkyNews

Beijing – A Chinese court has found Microsoft Corp infringed a Chinese company’s intellectual property rights by including certain fonts in its operating systems, according to a court judgement.

Beijing’s No1 Intermediate People’s Court found Microsoft had exceeded the scope of a previous agreement to use and sell fonts owned by Zhongyi Electronic Ltd, Dow Jones Newswires reported, citing a judgment on Monday.

The decision came during US President Barack Obama’s visit to China and at a sensitive time in the trade relationship between the two countries. The US has been pressing China for tougher intellectual property law enforcement.

Microsoft installed and used the fonts in eight of its operating systems without express permission from Zhongyi, the court said, ordering Microsoft to stop producing and selling those operating systems in China.

Microsoft officials were not immediately available for comment.

The case, which was filed in April 2007, apparently does not affect Microsoft’s latest operating systems, Vista and Windows 7, which went on sale in October.

The court rejected Zhongyi’s claim that Microsoft’s use of Zhengma software, which enables computer users to type Chinese characters using Western keyboards, also violated its intellectual property rights.

taken from News24

Mountain View – Google is offering a new privacy control that will make it easier for people to see some of the information being collected about them.

The Dashboard feature unveiled on Thursday pulls together all the data that pour into Google’s computers whenever web surfers log in to one of the company’ services.

That includes summaries of an individual’s e-mail, search requests and viewing habits on Google’s video site, YouTube. Before, a user would have to check multiple places for all that.

The snapshot doesn’t include any activity that occurs when a person isn’t logged into a Google service.

Dashboard represents Google Inc’s latest step to give its users more control over their personal information and appease privacy watchdogs.

taken from News24