US govt interference is a big deal, says Europe

European internet registries are preparing a fight-back against the US government following the latter's surprise decision to keep overall control of the "root zone file" that defines the internet's basic set-up.

The Register reports (10 July) that, despite an increasing number of newspaper articles - all from US media organisations - claiming that the internet community is happy to let the US government continue its role, a recent meeting of registries from across Europe begs to differ.

Instead, those registries have agreed to build, test and install a new automated system for changing vital infrastructure information, thereby removing the US government's ability to meddle in the process.

The Register says that the process is being pushed by Paul Kane, the head of CENTR - an organisation representing the majority of the world's top-level domains. Kane was quick to point out that the US government had done an excellent checking function on the internet's "root" since 1998 (when it first unexpectedly staked its claim), but noted that the US government's new "principles" state quite clearly that rather than "check" the function of the root - as it does now - it will "authorise" it.

He also claimed that the US' sudden change in position "has not gone down well in European government circles".

The Register says that Kane asked the floor at a meeting of worldwide top-level domain owners whether they wished to have the ability to make changes to their own domains by themselves. Half the room raised their hands. He then asked who was willing to let the US government authorise those changes on their behalf. Not a single hand went up.

The report says that the automation plan will use existing and proven technologies and protocols to depoliticise the root by making it a purely technical matter, Kane said. He added that 23 registries had already agreed to run a test-bed for the new service, which should be up and running by October this year.

ICANN's contract for running the root files (through organisation IANA) ends in March 2006, by which point the world registries hope to have a full report on their alternative, automated process.

Mobile content market is booming

Consumer appetite for mobile downloads will fuel a €7.6bn market in 2006.

The Register reports (11 July) that, according to research from LogicaCMG, demand for mobile downloads will triple within the next year. Currently 20 per cent of mobile phone users download mobile content with that figure rising to 60 per cent by 2006, the firms

LogicaCMG's survey focused on mobile phone users in Europe, Asia Pacific, North and South America. It also revealed that the spending habits of mobile phone users will rise in the coming twelve months. The average monthly spend on mobile downloads per subscriber is €6.32 with 40 per cent of those surveyed expecting to increase their spending in the future.

According to The Register, the most popular downloads in the mobile content marketplace are ringtones, music and games. The popularity of these downloads is unlikely to change much in the coming year, but LogicaCMG found that news and sports downloads are likely to pick up a keen following, particularly in Europe.

Despite consumers demand for mobile downloads, the research showed that mobile operators need to make significant improvements to their services in order to benefit from this booming market.

The report in The Register says that ease of payment and content sharing were cited as key factors by respondents when considering downloading mobile content. Meanwhile, quick download times and network-based storage for content was also regarded as important. On the flip side though, 90 per cent of mobile phone users admitted that they are influenced by marketing promotions offered by their network operators.

Additionally 50 per cent of consumers are concerned about security, while 40 per cent were worried about overpriced content and mobile fraud.

Analaysts said that to secure a share in this booming industry, mobile operators need to look at the bigger picture, building strong relationships with customers and content partners alike to deliver high-quality services that meet the markets' needs, reports The Register.

IBM and partner may offer broadband from a wall plug

IBM will announce a partnership today with CenterPoint Energy, a utility based in Houston, to develop broadband services to be delivered over electric power lines.

The New York Times reports (10 July) that the companies will open a technology center in Houston to test and demonstrate the technology for consumers and other utility providers. CenterPoint Energy will also set up a pilot program in about 220 Houston homes that will run through August.

The newspaper says that because power lines can carry data as well as electricity, utilities and broadband companies are hoping the technology will allow consumers to get high-speed internet connections simply by plugging a special adapter into a wall outlet. Some utilities, including Con Edison in New York, have started offering such services on a limited basis.

By relying on the adapters - which currently cost about US$200 but are expected to become less expensive - utilities do not need to send a worker to install equipment. Consumers can use the adapters in any room with an outlet.

The NYT says the the Federal Communications Commission in the US  is backing the development of this technology in hopes of creating a counterweight to the cable and phone industries, which provide the bulk of the 36 million broadband lines now being used in American homes.

The service could also be cheaply deployed in rural areas where phone and cable companies have not yet expanded.

According to the newspaper, CenterPoint says it will be one of the first utilities to test new technology, including faster chips that roughly triple connection speeds. With these chips, consumers will be able to receive Internet connections at about 7 megabits a second, equal to some of the fastest speeds available from cable companies.

Save iPod batteries for a sunny day

For all their ubiquity, Apple Computer's iPods are notorious for having a frustratingly short battery life, according to as Reuters report in The New York Times (11 July).

The Reuters report says UK firm Better Energy Solutions is addressing the problem in an eco-friendly way. Its Solio line of battery chargers uses solar power to energise not only fading iPods, but also mobile phones and other devices.

At 5.8 ounces, the chargers are designed to be as portable as the devices to which they provide power. Both the iPod and mobile-phone chargers feature a fan-blade design and open to capture the sun's rays and charge their internal batteries. When there is no sunlight, the Solio can be plugged into its wall charger.

The newspaper says the mobile-phone charger uses an adapter system to work with an array of mobile devices, while the iPod charger ships with an iPod connector kit.

Games ratings board probing Grand Theft Auto: SA

The industry group that sets ratings for video games is probing whether hidden features within the blockbuster title ``Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' allows players to make their characters engage in simulated explicit sex acts.

The Associated Press reports in The New York Times (9 July) that the series of criminal adventure games from Take-Two Interactive Software subsidiary Rockstar Games has been among the best selling in history, while drawing sharp criticism for encouraging gratuitous violence.

If the investigation were to lead to a rating change from M (Mature 17+) to AO (Adult Only), it could limit sales from major retail outlets.

The AP/NYT report says that the Entertainment Software Rating Board ``has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 'Hot Coffee' modification for (the game) ... to determine if there has been a violation of ESRB Rules and Regulations requiring full disclosure of pertinent content,'' ratings group President Patricia Vance said in a statement.

The report says that the move from the ESRB comes just days after California lawmaker Leland Yee, a Democrat from San Francisco, blasted the game for its violent and sexually explicit content.

The PlayStation2 version of ``Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' was the No. 1 game of 2004, selling just over 5 million copies, according to NPD Funworld.

Sprint adding GoodLink e - mail service

The rush to chip away at BlackBerry's dominance in mobile business e-mail intensifies further this week with Sprint introducing rival options from Good Technology and Seven Networks in the US.

The Associated Press reports in The New York Times (11 July) that Good, which last month signed on Cingular Wireless to sell its service, also said it is adapting its software to work with corporate e-mail systems based on IBM Lotus Notes and Domino in addition to Microsoft Exchange.

The AP report says that Good and Seven also are adding a new wrinkle to the market, making their services compatible with certain cell phones for those users who would rather not carry slightly larger handheld computers. The thinking is that rather than thumb-typing e-mail responses on a full-blown keyboard, many people may simply want the ability to read and triage incoming messages.

The report in the NYT says that these latest initiatives add to a drum beat of announcements targeting a fast-growing market pioneered and dominated by the BlackBerry device and e-mail service from Research In Motion.

The report adds that most conspicuous of these would-be ''BlackBerry killers'' was a software upgrade by Microsoft to provide better real-time e-mail access between corporate servers running on Microsoft Exchange and mobile devices based on the Pocket PC and Smartphone versions of Windows Mobile.

All five major US cell phone carriers sell BlackBerry as a lead product for business users.