How to hack iTunes

The Norwegian programmer who distributed the first widely used tool for cracking the copy protection technology found on DVDs has turned his attention to Apple Computer`s iTunes, reports CNet.

Late last week, programmer Jon Johansen posted a small program called QTFairUse to his Web site, with little instruction and even less explanation. But during the next few days, it became clear that the program served as a demonstration of how to evade, if not exactly break, the anti-copying technology wrapped around the songs sold by Apple in its iTunes store.

After an onslaught of complaints, direct sales computer king Dell has stopped routing corporate customers to a technical support call centre in Bangalore, India.

Tech support for Optiplex desktop and Latitude notebook computers will be handled from call centres in Texas, Idaho and Tennessee, Dell spokesman Jon Weisblatt told The Associated Press. He would not discuss the nature of the dissatisfaction, but some US customers have complained that Indian support operators are difficult to communicate with because of thick accents and scripted responses.

A meeting in Geneva from 10 to 12 December promises to define what is, what was and what shall become of the global electronic medium known as the Internet, report The Register and Slashdot.

The World Summit on the Information Society, organised by the International Telecoms Union (ITU), will see the heads of over 60 governments get together, discuss and hopefully agree on where we go from here.

There are several topics of great import but staggering controversy. Chief among these, opines The Register, is Internet governance. In short: who gets to run the Internet?

"It seems the US, Europe and English-speaking partners are happy to let ICANN carry on running the show, while developing nations would prefer control to be handed over to the ITU," notes Slashdot.

Pop-up ads have thrived for years despite numerous efforts to eradicate them, but now online marketers are seriously wondering whether the Web`s most detested ad format is about to meet its match: Microsoft.

CNet reports the software giant recently indicated that it will add pop-up blocking features to Internet Explorer (IE) next year, as part of an update for Windows XP. Others have offered similar tools before, but because IE so thoroughly dominates the browser market, ad executives and Internet watchers believe the changes could finally burst the bubble for pop-ups.