Filed under: News | Tags: discussions, Eastenders, Google, merger, Microsoft, News, takover, Yahoo!
Microsoft Chief Executive, Eric Schmidt, has stated that any deal between Microsoft and Yahoo! could be “bad for the Internet”. Google have already made it clear that they believe that such a deal could have implications for the openness of the Internet, and exert an “inappropriate…influence” over the Internet.
When Microsoft proposed a buyout of Yahoo for $44.6bn last month (which was rejected by Yahoo’s board), experts said that the buyout was an attempt by Microsoft to challenge Google’s dominance. And Eric Schmidt admitted that he would be concerned by any kind of acquisition of Yahoo by Microsoft.
However, earlier this month, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer has said that they will gain market share against Google in search and advertising, even if led to his “last breath” at the firm.
As we told you last week, Yahoo have put back their decision to at least April, and now Microsoft have threatened to oust Yahoo’s 10 directors if it can’t broker an amicable takeover.
Filed under: New Technology, News | Tags: East Coast Main Line, First Class, franchise, National Express, rail operator, railway, standard, trave;l, wi-fi
The East Coast Main Line railway, which runs from London to Scotland, has been offering free wi-fi to its passengers – a service which has proved extremely popular. Rail operator National Express introduced the free service for all of its passengers (around 17.4 million passengers per year) in December last year, when it took over the franchise, and has since seen wi-fi usage more than triple, rising from around 30,000 per month to more than 100,000. Previously, wi-fi access was only complementary in First Class and standard class travellers had to pay £4.95 an hour access the internet.
Alan Hyde, head of communications at National Express East Coast, stated: “Anecdotally, major employers along the East Coast route tell us that the addition of wi-fi is another reason for them to switch from air to rail, as it is much easier for their employees to stay in touch and keep working while on the move.”
Filed under: New Technology, News | Tags: BBC, Internet, ISP, Phorm, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, web creator, web tracking
Web creator, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has told the BBC that he is against web tracking systems, and he would change his ISP if they introduced it. He believes that consumers need to be protected against systems which can track their activity on the Internet.
Recently, plans by leading ISPs to use Phorm, a company which tracks web activity to create personalised adverts, have sparked controversy. Like Sir Tim, many people agree that their web history and data belongs to them, and no one should be able to have access to this without permission.
Talk Talk has said its customers will have to opt-in to use Phorm, while BT and Virgin, the two other companies which have signed up are still considering both opt-in and opt-out options.
Sir Tim thinks that the use of such private data could have negative effects for consumers : “I want to know if I look up a whole lot of books about some form of cancer that that’s not going to get to my insurance company and I’m going to find my insurance premium is going to go up by 5% because they’ve figured I’m looking at those books”.
Phorm however, has said that its system offers benefits for consumers, including security benefits which will warn users about potential phishing sites, which attempt to con users into handing over personal data.
