Michael's Insight

Network engineering firm identifies flaws in comScore broadband speed tests

Cable ISPs: new broadband test makes our service look slow [ArsTechnica]

Broadband speed tests conducted by research firm comScore, cited by the FCC in its National Broadband Plan, aren't always accurate according to Netforcast, a network engineering consulting firm. The FCC cited comScore's broadband speed tests to justify a statement that actual broadband speeds are only 40-50% of speeds advertised by service providers.

comScore's results are derived from a group of survey participants. Each participant has a comScore speed testing application installed on their computer which takes random samples of broadband speeds by downloading a file ranging from 1 MB to 15 MB. The application then calculates the size of the file divided by the time it took to download to determine the broadband speed.

But Netforcast has uncovered several errors in comScore's testing methodology that create lower broadband speed results. Those errors include the fact that most broadband connections are shared via wi-fi, with many systems and devices within a home accessing a broadband connection simultaneously. If one of those systems is using the broadband connection at the same time as comScore's testing, a lower speed would result due to the sharing of the broadband connection. comScore's tests do not compensate for this variable. 

The comScore testing also "severely limits the accuracy of its results" because it only uses a single TCP connection for each test. Netforcast contends that most speed testing services use multiple TCP connections. 

comScore's test results may also be flawed due to a fundamental miscalculation of the size of a megabyte of data. Netforcast believes that comScore may be calculating a megabyte at one million bytes of data rather than actual size of 1,048,576 bytes per megabyte. Such an error would result in a miscalculation of broadband speeds by 4.5 percent in every case.

U.S. House passes bill prohibiting P2P on government computers

House Passes Ban On File Sharing Use By Government Employees [Techdirt]

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Secure Federal File Sharing Act, which will prohibit peer-to-peer file sharing programs on government computers. The bill, sponsored by Representative Edolphus Towns of New York, would also limit how government employees that telecommute from home can use P2P software on their home computers. 

This legislation is a result of several high-profile leaks of sensitive government data that resulted from P2P software. Last year it was revealed that plans for the president's helicopter, Marine One, were available to the open Internet due to P2P software that resided on the computer of a government contractor for the project. Breaches like this occur when P2P software is configured to share the directories on a system that contain the sensitive data. Once shared, other P2P users discover the sensitive files in P2P search results.

The Senate is considering a similar piece of legislation called the P2P Cyber Protection and Informed Users Act. The House's ban of P2P software on government systems passed on a overwhelming 408 to 13 vote.

Watching the Masters in online streaming 3D

AVS Forums lets you know how to watch The Masters in 3D online [EngadgetHD]

Comcast and Cox cable customers with 3D television will be treated to 3D coverage of the Masters tournament next month. However, there is an option for others that want to see this ground-breaking event in full 3D. For users with a 10 Mbps downstream broadband connection (Insight's standard broadband speed), the 3D video will be available online.

Users who want to watch the 3D stream will need two pieces of specialized hardware - a graphics card capable of processing 3D images and a monitor capable of accepting a 120 hertz signal. Engadget and AVS Forum have recommendations for 3D graphics cards and 3D glasses kits along with instructions for setting up a system capable of viewing the 3D stream.

The 3D video stream of the tournament will be available from the Masters web site.

Microsoft releases emergency Internet Explorer patch

Microsoft issues emergency patch for 10 IE holes [CNET News]

Microsoft has released an emergency patch ahead of the normal monthly patch release for ten different critical issues in the Internet Explorer browser. One of the issues had been revealed publicly, and all of the 10 issues had created a vulnerability that an Internet Explorer user's system could be taken over by malicious code. Of the holes that Microsoft patched, only users of Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8 were not vulnerable to the exploits.

Microsoft's normal patches are set to be released in two weeks. However, these updates were considered too important to wait until then. Users with automatic updates set in Microsoft Windows will receive the patches automatically. More information about the issues addressed by the patch is available from Microsoft's security bulletin.

Cablevision televises hockey in 3D

3D hockey nets positive reviews, biggest surprise of the night was a Rangers win [EngadgetHD]

Last week, Cablevision, the nation's fifth largest cable provider, surprised customers watching the hockey game between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders with 3D coverage of the game. While Comcast was expected to televise the first sporting event in 3D with the Masters tournament next month, Cablevision's Rangers/Islanders 3D coverage managed to grab that title to the delight of viewers with 3D televisions.

The 3D coverage of the game was made possible by Cablevision's ability to procure the use of 3D cameras and equipment between its use at a concert and the National Association of Broadcasters conference.

The reviews of the 3D images were generally positive, with the New York Times reporting that standard high definition pictures appeared "flat, underlit and distant" compared to the 3D images that popped off the screen. But, Engadget reports that there still are issues to fix. For instance, when game attendees stepped in front of the camera, they also popped off the screen in 3D, requiring changes in camera angles to prevent that kind of distraction to viewers.

Large numbers of users still open spam email

Report: Tens of millions still opening junk e-mail [CNET News]

Spam continues to be a major headache for Internet users, largely due to the significant number of users that open spam email messages and message attachments. Ipsos Public Affairs Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group recently released a survey of Internet users that reveals nearly half of respondents indicate they have opened a spam email. Half of those that had opened spam, did so with the knowledge that the message was spam. 

The survey also indicated that 11 percent and 8 percent of respondents had clicked on a link in spam email or opened an attachement on a spam message, respectively. Both activities are significant vectors for malware, as malware developers use attachements and links to activate malicious code on a user's computer.

Interestingly, younger users were more likely to open spam and click on links within spam messages than older users. The survey also predictably revealed that users most likely to have opened spam or engaged in other risky activities with a spam message were more likely to have a system infected with malware. What a surprise!

Spammers count on large numbers of users to open their messages and activate the malicious code many of these messages carry. Until more users understand the significant risks these activities represent, spammers will continue to attempt to take advantage.

Taking Some Time Off

My nephew Stephen is getting married to his lovely fiance, Sarah, on Saturday and the clan is gathering at his farm in Costa Rica for the festivities.  After the wedding, we're going to hang together for most of next week and I'll pretty much be off the grid while I'm there.  As a result, I won't be posting again until Monday, March 29th.  

I'll catch up with you then.  

First week of 3-D TV sales results in sell out

Panasonic 3-D TVs Sell Out as ‘Avatar’ Technology Reaches Homes [Bloomberg News]

The first week's worth of 3-D television sales in the U.S. has resulted in one manufacturer selling out of units. Bloomberg reports that Panasonic's plasma 3-D sets sold out in their first week of sales and retailers are currently backordering the units from the company for customers. Panasonic has set a goal to sell one million 3-D televisions in 2010.

Samsung is currently the only other manufacturer with 3-D TVs currently available in the U.S., and Sony expects to begin U.S. sales of its 3-D units this summer.

While the only 3-D content options currently available to viewers are 3-D movies on Blu-ray, that will change in the coming months. I've blogged about Comcast's plans to provide coverage of the Masters in 3-D and ESPN will launch a 3-D channel this summer with the first programming to include several games of the World Cup.

Phishing malware targets Facebook users

Beware the new Facebook password reset scam [CNET News]

Facebook users should keep an eye out for a phishing scam that is currently circulating via email. Computer security firm McAfee warns that many Facebook users are receiving an email that indicates Facebook has reset their password and users should open the attachement on the email. But, the email is a scam and the attachment contains malware designed to steal a user's login credentials to Facebook and other web sites. 

McAfee reports that the Facebook phishing scam is currently number six on their list of top malware threats. The good news for users is that the email containing the malware attachement is easy to spot, with poor grammar and the lack of Facebook's standard password reset link that would appear in a legitimate Facebook password reset email.

Free Preview of CBS College Sports available to Insight customers during March Madness

Whether you're cheering for the University of Kentucky Wildcats, the University of Louisville Cardinals, the Ohio State University Buckeyes or another team during the NCAA basketball tournament, Insight will be the place you can catch all the action. March Madness is here and to make sure Insight customers don’t miss a minute of the action Insight will be offering a free preview of the CBS College Sports Network this week through April 5th.

Insight digital customers can access the free preview on digital channel 531.

The CBS College Sports channel will have wall-to-wall coverage of the NCAA Tournament when it begins later this week. For the first round of the tournament, CBS College Sports will feature two out-of-market games plus 80 additional hours of tournament-related programming. The two main shows are “NCAA March Madness Central,” with in-progress game highlights and press conferences, and the “NCAA March Madness Highlights” at the end of the day’s games. For more times and dates, visit www.CBSCollegeSports.com.

For up to the minute NCAA game information, fans can check out www.SportsOnInsight.com. All tournament games with channel numbers and air times will be listed.

Comcast to provide 3D coverage of Masters

Comcast to broadcast Masters in 3-D [CED Magazine]

The nation's largest cable provider is set to take 3D out for a test drive next month at the Masters golf tournament. Comcast has announced that it will broadcast two hours of Masters coverage in 3D each day of the tournament from Augusta National on April 7-11. Comcast customers with 3D capable televisions can watch the coverage for free through a dedicated channel for the event.

The broadcast will mark the first live next-generation 3D coverage of a major sporting event on television.

Users with a 3D media player, 3D glasses and a 3D monitor connected to a PC will also be able to watch Comcast's 3D coverage via the Masters web site.

According to Comcast's Derek Harrar Comcast's 3D coverage will feature different angles from the traditional HD coverage that ESPN and CBS will carry. Harrar says Comcast's testing of the 3D technology brings viewers a more "unique, immersive perspective" of the action.

Voicemail Express now available to Phone 2.0 customers

I'm pleased to announce Insight has launched a new feature available on our home phone service, in some districts, that allows customers to have copies of their voicemails sent directly to a personal email account.

The service, called Voicemail Express, copies every home phone voicemail message and automatically sends it to up to two designated email addresses. The service is free to Insight Phone 2.0 customers.

The subject line of each Voicemail Express email shows the phone number of the person who left the message. When Phone 2.0 customers spot a message they want to hear, they can simply click on the email attachment, which contains an audio file of the message. The telephone message plays right through the computer speakers.

If a customer deletes an email message by mistake using the Voicemail Express service, the original message will still be waiting in their voicemail inbox. All the features of Voicemail Express are accessible from an easy-to-use online control panel.

Voicemail Express also makes it easy for Insight customers to manage their voicemails online. Customers can create and change their voicemail password, record the name callers hear when reaching voicemail, record greetings callers hear when the phone is not answered, and can access Voicemail Express anytime by clicking “Voicemail” in the top-right corner of the MyInsight.com web site.

The service will be available in some districts immediately and other areas will roll out as we install the technology.  Check our website for availability in your area. To activate the service, Insight Phone customers can visit MyInsight.com and click on “Voicemail,” then enter their phone number and 4-digit password to begin the process of setting up Voicemail Express.

First reviews of 3D TVs coming in

First 3D showdown pits Samsung vs Panasonic [EngadgetHD]

In anticipation of the coming stream of 3D sets hitting store shelves, Consumer Reports has staged its first head-to-head reviews of 3D televisions from Samsung and Panasonic. Consumer Reports tested the Samsung 46-inch 7000- and 8000-series LCD TVs and Panasonic’s 50-inch VT-20 series plasma, using each company's new Blu-ray players that have built-in capability to play 3D content to test the 3D picture of the televisions.

How did the 3D TVs perform in Consumer Reports tests? Here's what the Consumer Reports blog says about the results:

As we’ve reported, when displaying 3D all three sets delivered impressive three-dimensional effects in full 1080p resolution. All were were able to provide a reasonably bright picture, which is advantageous when using 3D shutter glasses, which can make images appear dim.

Right now, customers who purchase a 3D television have limited options for 3D content. Basically, there are just a handful of 3D Blu-ray titles that utilize the 3D capabilities of one of these TVs. However, there are at least two 3D cable channels currently in the works - ESPN and Discovery Networks are both developing channels with 3D programming. ESPN plans to debut their 3D content at the World Cup this summer, broadcasting some of the games in three dimensions. Discovery's channel is expected to come online in 2011.

Netflix terminates recommendation algorithm contest after privacy concerns

Netflix Cancels Recommendation Engine Contest, Settles Privacy Lawsuit [NewTeeVee]

Over three years ago, Netflix launched a contest with a $1 million dollar prize. The contest winner would be the person or team that wrote an algorithm that improved the company's movie recommendations based on previous movie rentals by 10 percent or more. In order to provide the contestants with data to test their recommendation algorithms, Netflix released a data set of actual customers rental information, with names and identifying information removed.

Ultimately, one team of computer scientists wrote an algorithm that improved Netflix's recommendations by 10.5 percent and was awarded the price money. The improved algorithm provides customers reserving DVDs from the Netflix web site and Netflix streaming customers recommendations they are more likely to enjoy.

But, a FCC investigation has halted a second contest designed to further improve the company's recommendations because of privacy concerns about the release of a second data set of customer rental habits. The second data set was to have included some demographic data of individual Netflix customers. 

Netflix has announced that it has terminated the second round of the contest and settled a related lawsuit that had been filed by Netflix users concerned about the privacy of their personal information. For now, Netflix will rely on its own employees to improve its recommendations rather than crowdsourcing algorithm assistance.

Zeus botnet temporarily disabled by ISP outage

Zeus botnet shaken by ISP cutoffs [ZDNet]

When is an ISP outage good news?  When it takes out, albeit temporarily, the largest botnet currently operating on the Internet. 

ZDNet reports that AS Troyak, a Kazakhstani ISP, had its upstream connection to the Internet repeatedly disabled on Wednesday of this week. Because several other service providers that rely on AS Troyak for their connections host command and control servers for the Zeus botnet, it's ability to communicate with thousands of computers under its control was interrupted for a while. Zeus is currently the largest botnet on the Internet in terms of numbers of systems under its control. Hackers use botnets for a number of nefarious activities, including sending spam and conducting distributed denial of service attacks on other Internet-connected systems.

According to this report, approximately 25 percent of the Zeus botnet was disabled by the AS Troyak outage. The number of domains under its control dropped from 249 to 149. But, the Zeus disconnection was short lived. The operators of the botnet were able to find other means to connect control servers to the Internet, and though the botnet was shaken for a short time, it continues to operate.

FCC using broadband speed tests to map availability

The FCC Wants You to Test Your Broadband Speeds [Wired]

Most readers of this blog have probably used a web site, like Speedtest.net, to test their downstream and upstream broadband speeds. Now, the FCC wants users to perform a similar test for the federal government and share the results. As part of the FCC's development of a national broadband strategy, Broadband.gov now has a consumer broadband test java applet.

Users who want their broadband speeds to become part of the FCC's national database of broadband speeds and availability enter their street address into the applet and run the speed test. The street addresses and associated speed results will allow the FCC to analyze broadband availability and broadband speeds in locations with broadband.

In addition to a version for wired broadband connections, Broadband.gov features a speed tester for mobile devices that tests wireless Internet speeds.

26 percent regularly watch online programming

Online TV Audience Reaches 26 Percent [NewTeeVee]

Research firm In-Stat has released a report that indicates 26 percent of all U.S. consumers watch television programming online more than once each week, either via web sites like Hulu or via television set-tops connected to broadband. In-Stat's report indicates that there were some 24 million broadband-connected set-tops by the end of last year.

But viewers aren't giving up traditional television, according to In-Stat. Forty percent of respondents with broadband told the firm that they want a combination of traditional, linear television in addition to on-demand programming. Maybe that's because, as NBC Universal's Alan Wurtzel noted in the New York Times this week, "[T]he fact is you can’t duplicate a conventional television experience online."

Cable, satellite companies and consumer groups request retransmission consent reform

Cable, Satellite Ops Seek Congressional Review Of Retrans [Multichannel News]

Cable and satellite companies, including Insight, representing 65 million customers are calling on the federal government to fix the broken system that allows broadcasters to black out their channels during contract negotiations with cable and satellite providers.  Consumer groups Public Knowledge and New America Foundation also joined Insight, DirecTV Group Inc., Dish Network Corp., Verizon Communications Inc., Bright House Networks L.L.C., Charter Communications Inc., Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Suddenlink, Bright House Networks, Mediacom, and hundreds of smaller cable and telephone companies in a letter to the U.S. House and Senate Commerce Committees.

Unfortunately, it's become an all-to-common occurrence that broadcasters are becoming more and more willing to pull their signals off the air, if they can't reach an agreement. Just this week, a dispute between Cablevision and the local ABC outlet in New York resulted in an 18 hour blackout of ABC7 for all Cablevision customers.  The signal was restored 15 minutes after the beginning of the Acadamy Awards, suggesting that high-value programming can and will be used to increase their leverage to get better long-term deals. 

Consumer groups Public Knowledge and New America Foundation have joined the coalition in the letter because they also recognize that the current retransmission rules are being exploited by broadcasters to the detriment of viewers who just want the programming they're paying for.

Here's the letter that the coalition sent to Congress:

Dear Chairmen and Ranking Members:

The undersigned serve, or represent companies that serve, over 65 million video consumers. We write to you today to bring to your attention to, and to seek your assistance in addressing, the harm that is being caused to those consumers as a result of increasingly contentious negotiations over the terms that broadcasters are demanding from multichannel video programming distributors for retransmission consent. The most recent retransmission consent dispute, between ABC and Cablevision, resulted in over three million consumers losing access temporarily to ABC programming. That dispute is just the latest example of how the retransmission consent regime is broken and in need of repair, and comes immediately in the wake of similar highly publicized disputes that occurred at the turn of the year. During the impasse between ABC and Cablevision, over 70 state legislators and a number of Members of Congress raised concerns about the impact retransmission consent-related service disruptions and threats of such disruptions are having on consumers.

Congress gave broadcasters retransmission consent rights in 1992 as part of a regulatory scheme that was intended to ensure the broadest availability of broadcast programming to the public. The video marketplace is dramatically different today on the distribution side with MVPDs competing with one another in nearly every community nationwide. These changes in the market are allowing broadcasters to wield the very government protections meant to preserve access to the public in order to threaten to deny - or actually deny - their signals to consumers as a tactic to increase their profits.

Not surprisingly, the broadcasters would prefer that Congress and the Federal Communications Commission stay on the sidelines and leave consumers helpless in the face of such brinkmanship tactics. But that argument - and the related argument that negotiations for the carriage of broadcast stations should be treated no differently than negotiations for non-broadcast programming services like the NFL Network or the Discovery Channel - ignores the unique government benefits and privileges conferred on broadcasters that preclude the normal give and take of private contractual negotiations.

As a result of these government benefits, broadcasters alone enjoy channel location and tier placement guarantees that maximize their access to viewers, and broadcasters alone are guaranteed undue leverage in carriage negotiations by virtue of a detailed set of program exclusivity and blackout rules. Additionally, broadcasters alone have been the beneficiaries of mandatory carriage rights - must carry - that have allowed them over decades to grow their audiences through the free use of facilities built by video providers while at the same time having been granted the freedom to dictate the terms on which they will allow the retransmission of the same programming that is available over the air and increasingly over the Internet for free.

Congress was aware of the fact that retransmission consent could, if abused, lead to higher prices for consumers or service interruptions. But Congress believed that these risks could and would be managed by the Federal Communications Commission. Unfortunately, as recent events confirm, the balance of power that existed in 1992 has shifted and it is consumers who are caught in the crosshairs. It is time to consider how to restore balance to the unique retransmission consent process and take steps to protect consumers against either seeing access to broadcast signals priced out of their reach or having that access denied to them.

We respectfully urge you and other Members of Congress to carefully examine the circumstances that have resulted in the current imbalance in retransmission consent negotiations. We stand ready to assist you in whatever way possible in taking the necessary steps to ensure that, in the future, retransmission consent benefits those Congress intended for it to serve: the American people."

Another group of distributors, including most of the same companies that signed the letter, have also asked  the FCC to consider retransmission consent rule changes in order to settle disputes between multichannel video distributors and broadcasters.  The filing does not opine on the fairness of Retransmission Consent to cable and satellite customers -- that battle was fought long ago.  Instead, it seeks to find another way to resolve more and more common impasses, rather than TV stations simply pulling their signals out of the homes of millions of their viewers.  The companies have offered one solution, as an example of how these disputes could be better handled -- binding arbitration -- which is not the only answer but certainly one that is worth considering.

I plan to comment further on this subject in the coming weeks.

Twitter now filtering out malicious links

Twitter to block malicious links [CNET News]

Twitter has decided to crack down on links to malicious web sites that phishing sites use in tweets to lure in unsuspecting users on the social networking web site. In a blog post, one of Twitter's co-founders explained that the Twitter will now employ link filters to determine when links are posted to a tweet are legitimate or malicious. Now, when a user posts a tweet that contains a link, filtering technology will check the link to make sure it doesn't send other users to a malicious site.

Last month, Twitter was beset with several phishing attacks that have prompted Twitter's changes in how it handles links.

According to Twitter, most phishing attacks on the site are carried out through the direct message feature where users can send each other private messages. Copies of direct messages are emailed to users. With link filtering, now if a direct message contains a link to malware, users that click on the link won't be directed to the malware.

January online video viewing down slightly

Hulu, Vevo Take A Hit As Video Views Stall [NewTeeVee]

The latest online video statistics for the month of January from comScore indicate that total online video views actually declined from the same numbers from December 2009. 32.4 billion online videos were watched by U.S. viewers in January as compared to 33.2 billion the month prior. Popular long-form video site Hulu had a significant downturn in views, going from over 1 billion views in December to just over 903 million views in January - a decline of nearly 10 percent.

Last week Comedy Central announced that it was pulling The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report from Hulu. Both shows were among the most popular on Hulu, which will likely affect future video view reports on the network television owned site.

Overall, comScore indicates that the average viewer watched 187 online videos in January which was virtually constant when compared to the December average.

3D televisions hitting store shelves in coming days, weeks

Panasonic 3D TVs Arriving This Wednesday [PC World]

Consumer electronics manufacturers Sony, Panasonic and Samsung all have high profile announcements this week about the rollout of their 3D televisions. Panasonic's 3D sets will hit U.S. store shelves this week, with the first units coming with a Blu-ray player and 3D glasses. Panasonic has a goal to sell 1 million 3D televisions worldwide this year.

During the Academy Awards on Sunday, Samsung previewed its new 3D LCD televisions in a commercial complete with a flying manta ray and fish. Samsung is announcing that it too is packaging a Blu-ray player and two pairs of 3D glasses with its new 3D sets, and Samsung has a partnership with Dreamworks Animation Studios that will allow it to include a 3D Blu-ray disc for Dreamworks' Monsters vs. Aliens movie with each of its 3D TV.

Finally, Sony has announced pricing and availability for its 3D TVs in Japan, so an announcement of U.S. sales can't be long off. If you're waiting to try out 3D home theater technology, it looks like you're going to get that opportunity pretty soon. 

AT&T complains about ad that factually presents U-Verse bandwidth pinch

AT&T Complains About Ads Mocking U-Verse Capacity Crunch [Broadband Reports]

AT&T is complaining about a Time Warner Cable television ad that points out problems with the architecture of AT&T's U-Verse product. The ad, which illustrates the limited capacity of U-Verse to deliver both HD television and Internet over twisted pair copper, is the subject of a complaint filed by AT&T with the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau. In the ad, a football player representing HD channels tackles a smaller player representing Internet speeds. Because the U-Verse product delivers both over limited bandwidth twisted pair, the ad attempts to demonstrate that "those high def TV signals can make mincemeat out of your Internet service - no wonder your Internet can slow down."

Broadband Reports indicates that despite AT&T's complaint about the ad, what Time Warner Cable says about U-Verse is true. The Internet speeds delivered by U-Verse are dependent upon the distance a customer lives from the AT&T equipment that delivers the product. The digital signals degrade as they travel over AT&T's twisted pair copper wire, limiting the distance that the product can be reliably transmitted and the product's Internet speeds. That problem is compounded because U-Verse uses a portion of its already limited bandwidth to transmit the video portion of the product via Internet protocol.

So, regardless of whether AT&T likes it or not, Time Warner Cable's ad is, in my opinion, factually correct.

Battery charger software contains malware

Backdoor found in Energizer Duo USB battery charger [CNET News]

What will they come up with next?  It's amazing the vectors for malware that users have to protect themselves against in 2010. CNET is reporting that the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is warning that a particular brand battery recharger that connects to a computer's USB port has specialized software that contains a Trojan. The Energizer Duo USB battery charger's downloadable software contains malware that installs itself onto a Windows-based PC which creates a backdoor on the infected computer that hackers could use to steal data and execute other malware.

The malware infects the computer when a user installs the Energizer software. Energizer is currently working with CERT to determine how the malware made its way into the otherwise legitimate software. The charger and software have been discontinued, and customers with the charger are encouraged to scan their system with a current version of an anti-malware program.

Insight Broadband customers have free access to the CA Internet Security suite, which can be downloaded here.

HDMI 1.4 specification fully incorporates 3D support

HDMI 1.4a spec released in full, lays down mandatory 3D format support details [EngadgetHD]

Engadget reports that the specifications for version 1.4 of HDMI have been released, and the specs mandate 3D support for HD devices that support the new version of HDMI. HDMI, or High-Definition Multimedia Interface, is a digital transfer standard for transmitting high definition video and audio. Viewers looking for the highest quality HD transmissions between their set-tops and HD televisions opt for an HDMI connection.

In order to create a compatible 3D transmission standard for consumer electronics devices, the HDMI Founders (a group of seven companies responsible for the standard) have released HDMI version 1.4.

While devices that support HDMI version 1.3 have the capacity of delivering a full 3D experience, this article indicates that audio receivers using version 1.3 might not be able to interpret 3D audio content without a workaround. Version 1.4 promises to resolve these issues so all 3D content and device work correctly to deliver an accurate 3D experience.

Apple's iPad available April 3rd

iPad to hit the U.S. on April 3 [CNET News]

It's existence was announced six weeks ago, and now there's a definitive date when the Apple iPad will be available for purchase. Apple has announced that iPads will go on sale in its retail stores on April 3rd, and customers who can't wait until next month can pre-order online starting on March 12th.

Apple has said that there will be two versions of the iPad, one that is wi-fi only and another that is wi-fi and 3G wireless (for data only).  The April 3rd units will only be the wi-fi units with the 3G devices coming out  later in the month, according to Apple.  Future iPad users also can reserve the wi-fi version to be picked up at their local Apple store. 

The iPad runs a newer version of the same operating system that runs on Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. It promises to bring a larger screen and additional features to the iPhone OS experience.