Microsoft vs Cybersquatters

Microsoft is currently pursuing hundreds of cases of cybersquatting in US plus a few in UK.

Domain names involved are such as:

• www.exbox.com,
• www.windowsexp.com,
• winowlivemessenger.com,
• mikerowesoft.com
• WindowsLiveTutorial.com
  

Some of these domain names are working on the basis of typo-privacy which targeted on the typo mistakes made by the Internet surfers.

Related links:

1. Microsoft expands cybersquatting fight (CNet News.com)
2. Microsoft hits "cybersquatters" (BBC News)
3. Microsoft pus cybersquatters on notice (CNet News.com)

Related posts on Domain Names disputes:

1. Domain Names Dispute: Gmail vs G-mail
2. China: Gmail vs Gmail.cn
3. YouTube.com vs Utube.com
4. Rooney scored back his domain name

Model of e-Tourism website

Screencapture of Tourism Malaysia (www.tourism.gov.my)

This website is being described as the e-Tourism model by United Nations Conference Trade and Development (UNCTAD) - Tourism Malaysia.

The website is described being a model with superb display of marketing information, graphics and designs for consumers and business travels.

Comments on Thailand's, Cambodia's and Vietnam's websites were also mentioned.
Read here for more.

Source: TheStar Online, 14th March 2007.

www.gov.my

Screencaptured of www.gov.my

This is Malaysian one stop e-Government portal. Its comprises of 395 online services of Malaysian ministries, departments and agencies.

Current applications include:

• obtain information on payments, applications, filing complaints and others
• dealing with authorities
• update postal addresses with Employees Provident Fund (EPF)
• apply for foreign workers with Immigration Department

Future applications:

• sending completed downloaded application forms online directly to the relevant authorities
• sms services

Internet users: India, China and Russia Experience Highest Growth Rates

A study released by comScore Networks revealed the following interesting findings:

• There are 747 millions of Internet users worldwide.
• India, China and Russia experience the highest increase in 2006 with 33%, 21% and 20%.
• US has the largest Internet population - 153.4 million
• China has the 2nd largest Internet population - 86.8 million, followed by Japan at 53.7 million.
• Internet users outside of US is constituting 80%.
• Canada users spend 39.6 hours per month averagely, followed by Israel 37.4 hours and Korea 34 hours.

Related tables can be accessed here.

The rise of the identity theft

A study from the research firm Gartner suggested that there is a sharp increase of identity theft related incidents since 2003.

Facts:

• 15 millions Americans were identity theft victims in mid 2005 - mid2006.
• The average loss of a case of identity theft was US$ 3,257 (2006) and US$ 1,408 (2005).
• Only 61% of the loss fund was recovered in 2006.

Means of identity thefts:

• Internet auctions
• Non-regulated money transmittal systems
• Impersonate lottery contests
• Others.

Read more from here.

Spam - Firm ordered to pay £750

A firm in UK, Transcom Internet Services Ltd, is ordered by the Edinburgh's Sheriff Court to pay an Internet user, Mr Gordon Dick, a total of £750 plus £618.66 legal cost for sending unwanted marketing e-mails (spam mails). The chronological of the event can be read here.

Mr Dick won the case after Transcom failed to turn up at the court. However, Transcom denies that the firm is sending out any spam mails. Mr Dick has since established a website to advise others to sue the e-mail spamming firms at Scotch Spam.

Online Voting in Estonia

The world 1st national election featuring Internet voting was conducted in Estonia, a tiny ex-Soviet country located at the Northern Europe.

A total of 3.5% of registered voters or some 30,000 people casted their votes through the Internet-based polling system.

Electronic voting is gaining popularity throughout the world now. These are some examples of the electronic voting.

The main concern for e-voting will be the realiability and security of the Internet-based balloting systems in selecting the country's government.

Estonia is undergoing high-tech modernisation with high usage of online banking users as compared to the physical branches, universal availability of wireless connections in city cafes, parks and commuer trains.

The details of the e-voting process in Estonia is being discussed here.

National Museum to use RFID

National Museum of Malaysia will use RFID as part of its asset tracking management on its artifacts. The project will be completed by April this year. Some 1000 artifacts will tagged with RFID.

Source: TheStar Online InTech 1st March 2007