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Submission + - Europe Seeks to Tighten Some Online Laws

Submitted by kog777 on Monday February 26, 2007 @04:32PM

kog777 writes: Some European countries are proposing outlawing the use of fake information to open e-mail accounts or set up Web sites, a move intended to help terror investigations but which could face resistance on a privacy-conscious continent. The German and Dutch governments have taken the lead on the proposals, crafting legislation that would make it illegal to provide false information to Internet service providers and require phone companies to save detailed records on customer usage.

Submission + - Benefits of Windows User Access Control

Submitted by

Abtin Forouzandeh

on Monday February 26, 2007 @04:20PM

Abtin Forouzandeh writes: "Having used Vista for a few months, something keeps nagging me about windows user account control. For UAC to be useful, the user needs to have a fair amount of knowledge about a) what UAC is, b) what application its blocking, c) the consequences of blocking the action, and d) an alternate approach if the blocked action did something useful. Anyone who has ever worked with end-users can tell you that they are generally disinterested in learning anything about computer usage beyond how to use word and make a spreadsheet. Frankly, even as a highly technical user, I nearly always approve the UAC dialog even if I don't know the consequences. Since users lack knowledge, and Vista keeps asking esoteric/ambiguous questions, then users will always approve UAC dialogs.

So my question is, since UAC so clearly fails in its goal of making computing more secure, and substantially increases complexity, why is it common wisdom that turning off UAC is "not recommended"? For 99% of users, is there any true downside? Or has the community come up with ways to make UAC useful?"

Submission + - TMobile bans OperaMini and GoogleMaps on cells

Submitted by

cshamis

on Monday February 26, 2007 @03:33PM

cshamis writes: "TMobile has recently changed their policies which now make it impossible for customers WITH appropriate data plans AND Java-Micro-App-capable phones from running third-party network applications. You can, of course, still use the incredibly clunky and crippled built-in WAP browsers, but GoogleMaps and OperaMini are left high and dry. Would anyone care to speculate if this move is likely to RETAIN or REPEL customers when the iPhone and Cingular's accompanying liberal network policies come out this summer? http://www.gearlog.com/2007/01/tmobile_disses_oper a_says_get.php"

Submission + - Greatest invention since the TV remote

Submitted by

netbuzz

on Monday February 26, 2007 @03:22PM

netbuzz writes: "Couch potatoes everywhere lost a hero recently with the passing at age 93 of Robert Adler, inventor of the remote control. Stepping up to fill Adler's shoes, however, is recent Duke graduate John Cornwell, who brings us a heretofore unimaginable convenience: the "Beer Launching Fridge." ... Better get yours now before they're outlawed by the health nannies.

http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/1184 0"

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