Catching Web paedophiles

Police and Internet companies have joined forces to launch a Web site children can use to report their suspicions about the activities of possible paedophiles.

BBC News reports that Microsoft and AOL will put a link on their Web sites to the Virtual Global Task Force (VGTF), which is run by international law enforcement agencies and where police officers will be able to gather evidence to prosecute or warn offenders.

The VGTF was launched in 2003 as a direct response to lessons learned from investigations into online child abuse around the world.

The World Wide Web Consortium has issued three recommendations designed to make handling XML-formatted data more efficient.

CNet reports that the specifications have the backing of large industry software providers, including IBM, Microsoft and BEA Systems, which provide the software infrastructure to build and run XML data and Web services applications.

The XML-binary Optimised Packaging specification provides a way of sending binary information not typically represented as text along with an XML document. This method for representing binary data has been incorporated into a communications protocol called Message Transmission Optimisation Mechanism, which will speed up data transmission over the Internet. W3C members also developed Resource Representation SOAP Header Block for caching data for faster overall performance.

The US is planning to use a tracking technology to aid immigration controls at border crossings to Mexico and Canada, reports News.Com.

The US Department of Homeland Security plans to begin issuing special identification devices to foreign visitors arriving by foot and car from August 2005 to catch anyone overstaying their visas.

The devices will contain microchips storing a unique identification code that`s linked via government computers to document-holders` names, countries of origin, dates of entry and exit, and biometric data.

Amazon.com is mapping the streets of the US in a digital photography project to drive people into local businesses, reports CNet.

Amazon`s search unit, A9.com, is masterminding the project, which will pair digital photos of storefronts and their surroundings to more than 14 million US business listings from around the country.

The project is designed to enable people to call up a business listing to find contact information, reviews, a local map and photographs of its facade and surrounding area.

To accomplish this, the company has sent a handful of vans onto the streets of America equipped with cameras that are synchronised to a global positioning system receiver so that A9 can map local addresses to their images once recorded onto a computer hard drive.