Initial feedback on the beta tests of the SeeSaw TV-on-demand platform has been largely positive. The service offers content from BBC Worldwide, Channel 4 and Five for free, though nothing from ITV at the moment. The site began sending out invites for its beta test at the end of January. “The streaming quality is better than Sky Player with no buffering problems so far,” said one tester writing on the Digital Spy forums.

However, visitors to the TVForum.co.uk site weren’t enamoured with the name. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance of us having enough influence to cause a rethink of the name. It sounds like a programme you’d find on CBeebies,” wrote one forum member. SeeSaw is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux systems and only requires an up-to-date browser with Adobe’s Flash Player version 10 installed to run. You can sign up to take part in the beta tests on the SeeSaw website.
www.seesaw.com
www.digitalspy.co.uk


Source of Information : WebUser February 11 2010

BT’s download limits for its new fibre-optic broadband services have drawn fire from consumers. Visitors to the Webuser.co.uk site were unimpressed with the 20GB permonth limit on Option 1 of BT’s Infinity broadband package, which offers download speeds of up to 40Mbps and upload speeds of 2Mbps. “They offer amazing speed and then restrict how much you can use it. I wonder what happens if you go over the 20GB. Does it cut you off, slow you to a dial-up speed or put a penalty fee on your next bill?” wrote one visitor to Webuser.co.uk. Option 1 costs £19.99 per month on an 18-month contract, with a £50 set-up fee. There is no set-up fee for Option 2, which costs £24.99 per month, offers the same download speeds with upload speeds of up to 10Mbps and comes with no download limit, though a fair-usage agreement does apply. BT Infinity products are currently only available in areas where BT has deployed fibre-optic technology. Find out whether you can get the service by using a postcode checker on BT’s site. www.bt.com/infinity


Source of Information : WebUser February 11 2010

Back in August, I wrote a blog post about how Internet Explorer 8 offers the best protection against socially engineered malware threats. This week, NSS Labs released a new study that continues to show Internet Explorer 8 to be the #1 browser in blocking malware! When the first study was revealed, the Internet Explorer Team announced that Internet Explorer 8’s SmartScreen Filter had provided over 80 million blocks of malware. Almost a year after Internet Explorer 8 shipped, Internet Explorer 8’s SmartScreen Filter has provided over 560 million blocks of malware – averaging over 3 million blocks per day! Wow.

The SmartScreen Filter uses a special URL Reputation Service (URS) with data centers hosted around the world and has evaluated over 250 billion URLs to help keep Internet Explorer 8 users safe! Every day, the SmartScreen Filter URS processes about 4.1 billion URLs looking for malicious websites and files; and since it was first introduced in Internet Explorer 7, the URS has processed over 5.7 trillion requests!

Malware is the biggest and most common security threat facing people browsing the Internet today, and Microsoft is investing heavily in keeping people protected while using Internet Explorer with features like the SmartScreen Filter, Protected Mode, DEP, and more. Check out this post on the IEBlog for more info about the NSS Labs study and how to make sure the SmartScreen Filter is turned on. If you’re not already running Internet Explorer 8, or haven’t upgraded, this is a great reason!

THE AUSTRALIAN government plans to amend its current legislation to force internet service providers (ISPs) to block obscene and illegal websites. The decision follows a test of internet filtering, started in 2008 as part of the A$128m Plan for Cyber Safety. In a statement, the Australian government said it plans to “introduce legislative amendments to the Broadcasting Services Act to require all ISPs to block RC (Refused Classification)-rated material hosted on overseas servers. “RC-rated material includes child sex abuse content, sexual violence and the detailed instruction of drug use.” Senator Stephen Conroy said the scheme “balances safety for families and the benefits of the digital revolution”. Australian ISPs will use a blacklist of restricted sites operated by ACMA, the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Critics of the plans have raised concerns over how this list will be compiled and how easily it can be circumvented. They point out that last year an early version of the list, obtained by website Wiki leaks, was found to contain perfectly innocuous sites, including that of a dentist from Queensland.
Senator Scott Ludlam, communications spokesperson for the Australian Greens political party, described the policy as “pointless and simply misguided”. Last October the UK Government dropped plans to introduce legislation that would force ISPs to block access to sites hosting images of child abuse and other illegal content. It said the plans were not needed as self regulation works.

Source of Information : Computer Active Issue 310 January 7 2010

SICK OF BEING nickel-anddimed? Here’s how to fight some of the most egregious stealthy charges. For additional tips on fighting sneaky fees, go to find.pcworld.com/63899.

1. Sneaky Fee: Your wireless carrier charges you for storing contacts remotely or subscribing to ringtones, even though you didn’t request the services.
FEE FIX: Fight the charges with your carrier. If that doesn’t work, contact the Better Business Bureau for help. Look for alternatives, too: Yahoo Mobile offers a free mobile address book.

2. Sneaky Fee: You have your ticket, but when you get to the airport, the airline says you owe an extra $125 for transporting your bags.
FEE FIX: Most airlines charge $25 for checking a second bag, and they heap on heftier fees (up to $100) for overweight bags. American Airlines charges $15 for the first bag. To avoid the charges, pack light. You can also shop around—Orbitz offers a handy chart (find.pcworld.com/63900) that breaks down how much extra you will pay for bags, meals, and snacks with different airlines.

3. Sneaky Fee: Your cable company’s triple-play (TV, Internet, and phone) package charges you extra for a 20-mbps Internet connection, but you’re getting only 5 mbps. You also pay extra for premium phone features such as call forwarding, but you’ve never used them.
FEE FIX: Run an Internet speed test at a site like Broadband- Reports.com; if the speed is slower than expected, ask your provider for a discount. Investigate your service provider’s other packages with fewer bells and whistles, and request a no-penalty transfer. Threaten to take your business elsewhere if your provider doesn’t agree.

4. Sneaky Fee: Wachovia Bank charges $5.95 a month to download data to Microsoft Money, QuickBooks, or Quicken.
FEE FIX: A number of banks charge similar fees. Ask if you can switch to an account that doesn’t charge to download data; at Wachovia, the fee is waived if you have a “premium” savings account that maintains a $5000 balance.

Source of Information : PC World December 2009