Posts
Official Google Blog, July 7, 2009
It's been an exciting nine months since we launched the Google Chrome browser. Already, over 30 million people use it regularly. We designed Google Chrome for people who live on the web — searching for information, checking email, catching up on the news, shopping or just staying in touch with friends. However, the operating systems that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web. So today, we're announcing a new project that's a natural extension of Google Chrome — the Google Chrome Operating System. It's our attempt to re-think what operating systems should be.
Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.
Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don't have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.
click here to read the full article
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Introducing the Google Chrome OS
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Internet radio sites, music industry reach agreement over royalties
Deal with SoundExchange allows large webcasters such as Pandora to pay lower per-song royalties or a 25% of their total revenue.
By Jim Puzzanghera, Los Angeles Times, July 8, 2009
Reporting from Washington -- The music won't stop for Internet radio after a group of webcasters struck an agreement with SoundExchange, the organization that collects royalties for musicians and record companies, over payments for playing music online.
The settlement ends a 2 1/2 -year dispute that had threatened to silence the nascent Internet radio business and had forced some people who started online stations as a hobby to quit for fear of accruing expensive royalty bills.
The deal joins a series of agreements made this year that cover various sectors of the industry, including small webcasters and conventional radio stations that simulcast their broadcasts online, and have resolved much of the controversy.
Tuesday's settlement allows websites that stream music to avoid per-song royalty payments that were set in 2007 by a special federal court and that many Internet radio sites said would force them out of business. Instead, Pandora Media Inc. and other large webcasters can choose an alternative rate structure that allows them to pay lower per-song royalties or 25% of their revenue -- a major break, given that many webcasters don't make much money yet.
click here to read the full article
New Security Vulnerability in Internet Explorer Affects Windows XP & Microsoft Server 2003 Users
There is a new security vulnerabilty in Internet Explorer affecting users of Windows XP or Microsoft Server 2003. It allows hackers to take control of a PC remotely.
Microsoft has issued a workaround to fix the problem.
Click here to go to the Microsoft Security Advisory & get the workaround.
Speak Out Against Proposed NC Internet Retail Tax
North Carolina's budget tax bill now includes "affiliate nexus" language which may be voted on as early as July. We strongly urge you to immediately email Senators Hoyle, Clodfelter and Jenkins to express your opposition to this change to the budget bill.
EMAIL LETTERS TO:
David.Hoyle@ncleg.net
Daniel.Clodfelter@ncleg.net
Clark.Jenkins@ncleg.net
Here is a sample letter you can use & modify:
[Date]
Sen. David W. Hoyle
Sen. Daniel G. Clodfelter
Sen. Clark Jenkins
300 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-5925
Subject: OPPOSITION to SB 202, Section 27C.2
Dear Senators Hoyle, Clodfelter and Jenkins,
I am a small business owner with a website, and I am in strong opposition to Section 27C.2 of SB 202, which could specify that sales tax is due and to be collected by an online retailer when the online retailer uses an in state affiliate to sell its products.
I am opposed to this Section of the bill because it would substantially harm my small business by reducing a large source of revenue that I rely on to survive. This revenue results from providing advertising on my website as part of an “affiliate” or “associate” program with out-of-state retailers. [Describe how your business model is set-up and what you contribute to the local economy.]
If retailers believe that doing business with me will result in their having to collect sales tax on all North Carolina sales, they likely will sever ties with my business, putting the viability of my business at risk. Such was the case in New York State where Overstock dismantled its affiliates program and I am told by my colleagues that hundreds of other businesses followed Overstock’s example. This left thousands of affiliates – most of which are small- and medium-sized businesses – with a major loss of income.
Amazon.com has already taken action and has discontinued their affiliate program in North Carolina.
For these reasons, I respectfully oppose Section 27C.2 of this legislation.
Sincerely,
*********************
For information about proposed legislation on an internet sales tax in other states click here.
Online sales tax a web of trouble
The Orange County Register, July 5, 2009
Online retail giant Amazon.com cut ties with affiliate Web sites in North Carolina and Rhode Island to avoid the latest revenue scheme gaining momentum in state capitals to force out-of-state companies to collect sales taxes on Internet purchases made in those states.
Web retailer Overstock.com also announced last week it would end affiliate arrangements in those states, as it has with 3,400 online affiliates in New York.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger got the message. After threats from both companies to end affiliate programs in California, the governor last week vetoed a package of new taxes that included online sales taxes.
Amazon had warned it “would have little choice but to end its advertising relationships with California-based participants in the Amazon ‘Associates Program,'” which pays affiliates a percentage of sales based on click-through purchases originating at their Web sites. Taxing the affiliate sales of out-of-state Web-based companies is “an unconstitutional burden on interstate commerce” when the seller has no physical presence in the state, Amazon maintained.
click here to read the full article
2 more Web retailers cancel R.I. ties
By Paul Grimaldi, projo.com, July 2, 2009
More online retailers have joined Amazon.com’s boycott of Rhode Island as the companies try to stamp out efforts to tax Internet sales.
Online diamond and jewelry retailer Blue Nile Inc. and discounter Overstock.com both said they have terminated contracts with Rhode Island advertising affiliates over legislation enacted to tax online sales.
What has been dubbed the “Amazon tax” –– became law Wednesday as part of Rhode Island’s state budget –– and also has been proposed by a handful of cash-strapped states. The law will force Rhode Islanders to pay a 7-percent sales tax for Internet purchases from out-of-state companies, such as Amazon.com, that have formal business relationships in the Ocean State.
The states are following in the footsteps of New York, which in 2008 enacted legislation intended to get around a federal prohibition on taxing Internet sales.
click here to read the full article