News From Around The Industry:

• Defusing the wi-fi backlash:
Media enthusiasm for wi-fi has given way to a backlash of late, with much speculation about its effects on health. Wireless networks have been suggested as a cause of ailments from headaches to cancer. A group called Powerwatch, run by a man who makes a living selling devices that block electromagnetic radiation, has even claimed that classroom wi-fi is causing bad behaviour. It is true that little research has yet been conducted into the health effects of wi-fi. That, though, does not mean that it is anything to be afraid of. There is no evidence that wireless networks present any special hazards beyond those posed by existing technology. The hotspot in your local Starbucks, indeed, should cause less concern than the mobile phone in your pocket. There is really no need for panic. Even if wi-fi is all but certain to be safe, though, the Government should still consider sponsoring research. That is because of the way these fears reflect the psychology of risk. People will always perceive risks they elect consciously to take on differently from risks that may be much smaller but over which they have no choice. To use a mobile is an active decision. Wi-fi networks, however, emit radiation to which people are exposed whether they use the technology or not. And a feeling of powerlessness can promote fears that are quite irrational from a purely scientific standpoint. This does not justify any kind of wi-fi ban, but it does make a case for a limited study. It might be unlikely to reveal anything that is not already known, but that is not necessarily the point.

• Mechanics sued for listening to radio:
Kwik-Fit, an Edinburgh-based chain of car repair garages, has been slapped with a bill for £200,000 in damages simply because its mechanics switched on their radios. The lawsuit has been brought by the Performing Rights Society which collects royalties for songwriters and performers. The PRS says Kwik-Fit mechanics were using personal radios while at work and the music (which is protected by copyright) could be heard by colleagues and customers. This act of playing or performing music in public renders the firm guilty of copyright infringement. At the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Lord Emslie refused to dismiss the case and ruled that the action could go ahead. One question, why is Kwik-Fit to blame here? If it is copyright infringement to play music from the radio within earshot of co-workers and customers, than why isn’t the PRS going after the radio companies? They are the ones distributing music illegally…

• 4 Terabyte HD by 2011?:
A single hard drive with four terabytes of storage (4TB) could be a reality by 2011, thanks to a nanotechnology breakthrough by Japanese firm Hitachi. The company has successfully managed to shrink the read-write head of a hard drive to two thousand times smaller than the width of a human hair. The smaller head can read greater densities of data stored on the disk. Hitachi said the advance would fuel the "terabyte era", with a 4TB drive able to hold more than a million songs. Current hard disks can store about 200 gigabits of information per square inch (6.4sqcms) while Hitachi believes its new technology means it can store up to 1 terabit of data per square inch.

•Governator just says no to SkyNet:
It's illegal now for California employers to force anyone to have an RFID device implanted under his or her skin as a condition of receiving something—such as a paycheck or government benefits. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 362 on Oct. 15, prohibiting the forced implantation of RFID (radio-frequency identification) chips. The bill, authored by state Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2008. "RFID technology is not, in and of itself, the issue. RFID is a minor miracle, with all sorts of good uses," said Simitian. "But we cannot and should not condone forced 'tagging' of humans. It's the ultimate invasion of privacy." The anti-tagging bill, now a law, is not the first piece of privacy-based RFID legislation authored by Simitian to pass the governor's desk. A little more than a year ago Gov. Schwarzenegger quietly vetoed SB 768, also known as the Identity Information and Protection Act of 2006, which would regulate the use of RFID in state and local documents.

• All Systems Go for Ubuntu 7.10 Linux Desktop Launch:
Canonical, Ubuntu Linux distribution's commercial sponsor, has announced that the release version of Ubuntu 7.10 Desktop Edition will launch Oct. 18. The latest version of Ubuntu includes numerous new features. In particular, its hardware support has been improved. Besides better plug-and-play configuration for printers, the new Ubuntu includes automatic firmware installation for Broadcom Wi-Fi cards. Laptop users will also be pleased to see improved support for display systems. With Gutsy Gibbon, full external VGA (projector) support is available out of the box, with easy reconfiguration when hardware is switched. For power users, this release includes the ability to manage multiple monitors.

• Poll: Wi-fi sharing not for everybody:
When it comes to sharing home wi-fi, most silicon.com readers are reluctant to spread free wireless love. Asked if they are happy to share their wi-fi, nearly half (46 per cent) of respondents to a reader poll said it is something they would never do. This goes against the spirit of community wi-fi sharing organisation FON, which recently linked up with BT to provide 'Foneros' in the UK with access to thousands of free wi-fi hotspots. Foneros are BT broadband customers who agree to securely share their fat pipes with other members of the FON community. Security is clearly a key issue when it comes to letting strangers piggyback on your wi-fi connection: close to half (41 per cent) of poll respondents said they would sometimes be prepared to share - but only if a secure login were used. This is much better news for BT and FON - provided they can get the message out that their shared wi-fi community is safe. The poll also reveals how the concept of wi-fi has caught on: just three per cent of respondents admitted to being in the dark about what wireless broadband is.

• U.S. broadcasters to use prime time for DTV campaign:
U.S. broadcasters promised on Monday to air more than $327 million worth of television spots as part of a broad campaign to alert consumers about the approaching switch-over to digital television. The major television networks, as well as 95 station-owning broadcast companies, pledged to run the ads as part of a $697 million campaign designed to keep viewers from being caught off guard when broadcasters switch to digital signals by February 17, 2009. The television spots, including some to be aired during prime time, warn viewers that older, analog televisions will not work after the switch-over and steer them towards possible solutions. Broadcasters are required to switch to digital signals from analog by February 17, 2009. If owners of analog televisions do not get a converter box, subscribe to satellite or digital cable, or replace their TV with a digital television by that date, they will not be able to watch television. The federal government plans to subsidize the cost of buying a digital-analog converter box by offering $40 discount coupons to anyone who owns an analog television.

• Napster relaunches with Web-enabled platform:
Napster said it plans to attract more customers by moving to a Web-based platform allowing users to play their music from any computer without having to download any additional software. The move is intended to open up the service and attract more paying subscribers by making the Napster platform more flexible and compatible with any Internet-enabled device. Before now most Napster subscribers could only listen to their music after downloading the Napster software application on to their personal computers. This is similar to a model currently used by Apple Inc's iTunes Music Store, which is the market leader with more than 70 percent of all digital music sales. Napster sells a subscription service for $10 to $15 a month where users can stream or download an unlimited number of songs from its 5 million-strong library. But Napster's and other music subscription services have so far lagged behind larger rival iTunes, which uses a more traditional buy-to-own model. Itunes sells songs as permanent downloads at 99 cents each.

• California Court Lets Class-Action Suit Against T-Mobile Go Forward:
T-Mobile is facing a class-action lawsuit that asks a California court to prevent the carrier from collecting money for early termination fees and from locking cell phones. California's highest court gave its go-ahead for the lawsuit late last week after T-Mobile asked it to dismiss the case. According to a report on Wired.com, the high court's seven justices turned down T-Mobile's appeal, paving the way for the case to proceed. The plaintiffs, T-Mobile customers, are seeking an injunction that would prevent T-Mobile from collecting an early termination fee of about $200 from subscribers. T-Mobile and all of the other major carriers in the United States, including AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint Nextel, charge a fee when subscribers terminate a contact agreement that is typically signed for two years. Additionally, the plaintiffs seek an order that would require T-Mobile to allow its subscribers to unlock their cell phones if they choose to take them to another carrier. Consequently subscribers wouldn't have to purchase a new phone if they decided to switch.