Inside Todays Bytes:
•Hacker group puts stolen Networks' Dragon and Napster source code up for sale online
•Russian piracy costs US economy one bln dollars annually: official
•Netgear ethernet bridge recalled
•Canadian company claims Wi-Max patents
•Windows Shell flaw has experts worried
•Microsoft: 'Real progress' on security (Oh, the irony...)
•UK telecom juggernaut BT unmoved by cries of monopoly and hampering broadband growth, competition
•New iPod in August?
•Doom 3 ready to roll out
•More news, plus TidBytes...on the inside!... .

•Hacker group puts stolen Networks' Dragon and Napster source code up for sale online:
A group of hackers calling itself the Source Code Club is offering what seems to be the stolen source code for an older version of Enterasys Networks' Dragon intrusion detection system and Napster's client and server software. The price: $16,000 and $10,000, respectively. As proof that it has the code, the group has put a listing of the files online. By using e-mail drops and encryption, the group believes that it can keep both the buyer's and its own identity secret.
•Russian piracy costs US economy one bln dollars annually: official:
A top US official said that Russian piracy cost the US economy one billion dollars in lost revenue each year and urged Moscow to fight the trend. Music and film piracy is rampant in Russia, representing 80% to 90% of audiovisual products sold. Last September, the head of Russian interior ministry's economic crimes unit said that some 90% of all computer software sold in Russia was pirated.
•Netgear ethernet bridge recalled:
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Netgear announced a recall of one of the company's Ethernet bridges Wednesday. The Netgear Wall Plug Ethernet Bridge, avaialble for between $50 to $80 on shopping sites, contains a plastic housing that can detach, creating a shock hazard. However, only one incident of the faulty casing has been reported.
•Canadian company claims Wi-Max patents:
Broadband wireless specialist Wi-LAN has said it is prepared to grant licences for patents and patent applications it now holds which cover the IEEE 802.16 wireless MAN standard. The Canadian company believes infringement of these patents is unavoidable in any implementation of 802.16, which is the standard to which the WiMAX Forum will be certifying equipment. The company obtained the patents when it acquired Ensemble Communications.
•Windows Shell flaw has experts worried:
Of the 7 new vulnerabilities patched by MS, Windows Shell (MS04-024) has been picked out by security experts as a potential target for future worms and viruses. A senior security engineer at eEye said he expects the Windows Shell bug to be the most serious threat, despite MS rating the problem as 'important' rather than 'critical' because it would require "significant user interaction"... meaning that a user would need to open an email attachment, or download a file from a malicious Web site.
•Microsoft: 'Real progress' on security (Oh, the irony...):
MS claims it has made "real progress" in the last year towards its goal of Trustworthy Computing but criticized businesses for failing to be more proactive on security. The VP of the security business and technology unit at MS urged partners and resellers to push customers into upgrading to the latest versions of Windows because of the security benefits... but admitted this is unrealistic to expect.
•UK telecom juggernaut BT unmoved by cries of monopoly and hampering broadband growth, competition:
UK telecom giant BT has dismissed an attack from rival telco Cable & Wireless, which claims that the former state monopoly's grip on the UK telecoms market is hampering broadband competition. C&W claimed BT was keeping market share by frustrating and stifling innovation among its competitors, and blamed both the UK government and regulators for not driving more competition in UK telecommunications.
•New iPod in August?:
Word is that the next generation iPods are going to be released in August. According to sources, it sounds like they’re going to be a crossbreed of the regular old iPod and the iPod mini, taking some features from each. Some of the rumored upgrades: a smaller form factor, similar to the Mini in design (which probably means the new scroll wheel), a bigger hard drive and a bunch of color options. No mention of built-in WiFi or video playback... yet.
•Doom 3 ready to roll out:
ID SOFTWARE said Doom 3 has gone gold, and the release date is likely to be August 3rd, as predicted and predicated. The firm said that some copies will be available before the shop opens, so whipping up the storm. The "actual" release date, it said on the ID Soft web site is 5th August in the United States.
•New Hampshire divided over VoIP taxes:
With U.S. Senator John Sununu (NH) pushing for a vote by the U.S. Senate on his legislation that would block federal and state jurisdictions from taxing VoIP, there are moves back in his home state to do the opposite--tax VoIP. A proposal by NH's Department of Revenue Administration has been put forth to tax Internet and telephone service at the rate of 7%.
•Cell phone users want tunes:
A survey found 11.4% of cell users "very or extremely interested" in buying full-featured music and audio services. Such services would include music downloading and streaming radio, including talk and news. Most of the major handset manufacturers are shipping phones today that can play MP3 files downloaded from a PC. These phones are too expensive for average users, but prices are expected to come down over the next year or so.
•Spec approved for future copy protection for next-gen digital media:
IBM, Intel, MS, Sony, Toshiba and Panasonic along with studio owners Walt Disney and Time Warner have agreed to used the digital media standard to distribute movies and other digital content. The spec, known as the Advanced Access Content System (ACCS), covers the licensing and distribution of movies via next-generation formats like high-density Blu-ray and HD-DVDs.
•FCC honcho: It's time to throw out old regulations:
By trying to fit companies into old regulatory categories, the U.S. government is picking winners and losers in the telecommunications industry, said the FCC boss. Powell said part of the solution lies in pushing state and federal legislators and leaders to address broadband policy, which is often hampered by vested interests. The United States, unlike some other countries, also has a more competitive broadband landscape with multiple providers, be them DSL, cable or satellite providers, he said.
•MS Opens IM server to AOL, Yahoo:
MS is connecting its Office Live Communications Server with the major public instant messaging networks in a move that analysts say removes a major barrier to enterprise IM adoption. The interconnection will allow enterprise users of LCS 2005 to send and receive messages with users on AIM, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger directly from Windows Messenger, as well as to add members from those networks onto their buddy lists.
•UK military denies ban on iPods:
The UK's Ministry of Defence has denied reports that it has banned Apple's iPod due to fears it could be used to steal sensitive files. News reports yesterday had said the music player and other portable storage devices had been banned from most sections of its headquarters in the UK and abroad. The potential security risks posed by portable storage devices that plug into a PC's USB or FireWire ports has been highlighted recently in reports.
•Sony Connect to add video to download services:
Sony will add video downloads to its Connect online music service within the next year, the head of the consumer electronics giant's Sony Pictures Entertainment has revealed. Sony is already a partner in Movielink, a US-only Internet distribution company, alongside studios Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros and MGM. Movielink could act as a source for Sony Connect's video offering.
•Texas BPL:
Central Texas-based Broadband Horizons has successfully launched broadband over power lines (BPL) in three Texas communities, making the company the first in the state to offer the service. The successful pilot projects were launched in mid-June in Blanco, Burnet and Weimar. Texas is now one of a handful of states, including Virginia, Indiana and Kentucky that have implemented BPL.
•Survey: ID theft costing UK billions in taxes:
Billions of pounds of taxpayers' money is stolen each year through ID theft and other fraudulent activities, according to a survey of public sector security analysts and IT managers. The survey, which was conducted by risk management consultants SPSS, found that only 1 percent of fraudulent activity in the public sector is being detected, which means billions of pounds could be saved each year by tightening up prevention and detection techniques.
•D-Link releases media player with AOL radio service:
D-Link's MediaLounge DSM-320 Wireless Media Player is now available to consumers for $199. The Wireless Media Player connects to a broadband home network and enables TV sets and home stereos to play media files stored on a PC. Owners of the media player can access Radio@AOL, America Online's radio service. D-Link also said it is expanding an alliance with AOL to bring AOL Broadband programming and services to devices other than a PC.
•Siemens, Shaw in Canadian 'triple play' deal:
Canadian ISP Shaw Communications has signed an agreement with Siemens to support its new “triple play” strategy of converging voice, data and video services into new applications and build incremental revenues. Shaw is currently developing a digital telephony service based on VoIP technology. Siemens will deploy a next-gen IP telephony network solution to enable the delivery of new converged services. This will allow Shaw Communications to provide voice/data applications over its broadband cable television network.
•New chips could put Wi-Fi in flight:
Chipsets from startup Engim that allow one Wi-Fi access point to carry data on multiple channels may help bring wireless networks to airplanes. Engim's EN-3001 Wideband Wireless LAN chipset and access point reference designs for 802.11b and 802.11g are designed to use three channels at once. This enables more clients in a single area to simultaneously use Wi-Fi. Several airlines are looking into such technology.

TidBytes:
•Apple profit surges on iPod sales
•CNET to Buy Webshots in Deal Worth Up to $70 Million
•Napster backers must continue to face the music
•The BBC: The monopoly it's OK to love?
•Asian hotels roll out the digital red carpet
•Longhorn update: No promises
•Cheaper DVD recorders on the way
•Sirius Reaches 500K Mark
•Call Compliance to offer Wireless Number Blocking service
•Microsoft fights GMail, Yahoo with... stronger AV for Hotmail (Oh boy!)