According to the Associated Press, “U.S. military officials seeking to boost the nation’s cyberwarfare capabilities are looking beyond defending the Internet: They are developing ways to launch virtual attacks on enemies. But first the military will have to figure out the proper boundaries. ‘What do we consider to be an act of war in cyberspace?’ asked Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., who heads the Air Force’s cyberoperations command. ‘The military is not going to tend to do that (use virtual strike capabilities) until you cross some line that constitutes an act of war.’”
The New York Times reports that “Facebook is close to putting an uncomfortable and embarrassing legal episode behind it. A person briefed on the status of dueling lawsuits between Facebook and the competing site ConnectU said on Sunday that Facebook was finalizing a settlement with the founders of ConnectU — brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and their colleague, Divya Narendra. The ConnectU founders were accusing Mark Zuckerberg and the original crew behind Facebook of pilfering their profitable idea back in 2003, when they were all Harvard students. Facebook had filed a countersuit, accusing ConnectU of unfair business practices. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. In the meantime, all motions in the case against ConnectU have been terminated.”
The New York Times also has a scary – but fascinating – article today on the “whole alternative business environment that’s occurred over the last couple years” around cyber crime. The publication says that, according to security experts, “
The Los Angeles Times writes that “[i]n recent months, some start-up technology companies have died or gone into comas after running out of money, a possible early sign that the resurgence in venture investment may be coming to an end. […] Industry analysts say this year will bring a big wave of start-up deaths as the credit crisis gripping the financial markets makes investors cautious in other areas. ‘This is the first time since the Internet bubble burst that Internet companies are facing serious challenges,’ said Jessica Canning, global research director for Dow Jones VentureSource. The slowdown will affect Los Angeles, which has become a technology center for companies that put entertainment and advertising on the Web. Now such companies are frequently given months, not years, to prove concepts, with wary venture capitalists pickier about where they invest.”
The International Herald Tribune has an interesting editorial today which suggests that U.S. Presidential candidates “need to talk frankly about trade” and “tell voters the truth: First, trade is good for the economy, providing cheap imports and markets for exports, spurring productivity and raising living standards. And second, while trade can drive down some wages and displace some jobs, Democrats have real ideas to help workers cope. Clinton and Obama should base their approach on these ideas. They would not only make sound policy, they would provide a competitive advantage over John McCain.”