Many Mix Work With Vacation
The proliferation of PDAs, laptops, cell phones and other office peripherals has made it easier than ever to stay in touch with the office, even during vacations, according to a study by hardware manufacturer Iogear.
In a telephone survey of 255 business executives, Iogear found that 82 percent said they check e-mail or contact colleagues while on vacation, spending about 30 minutes a day doing business-related work.
About 68 percent of those surveyed said they carry one piece of equipment—not including cell phones—with them when on vacation. Forty-two percent take at least two.
Iogear officials said the study indicates that keeping in touch with the company gives executives the peace of mind to enjoy the rest of their vacation and lessens the amount of work that builds up during the vacation.
Bill Targets Internet Piracy
U.S. Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., said that peer-to-peer networks are hotbeds of copyright piracy and that legislation is needed to help artists and companies protect themselves from losses that can reach billions of dollars.
Addressing the Computer and Communications Industry Association last week, Berman said legislation he plans to file would enable copyright holders to use such “technological self-help” tools as file blocking, spoofs, decoys and interdiction to fight piracy.
A problem is that under some state and federal laws, using such technology to thwart P2P networks is illegal. Congress must change that to ensure that artists can fight back as P2P technology becomes more efficient, said Berman.
Content Vendors Trade Lawsuits
Two players in the content delivery space are suing each other. Akamai last week filed suit against Speedera for allegedly stealing trade secrets from a database maintained by a third party. Speedera countersued, claiming Akamai has been damaging its business by making false claims about Speederas business.
Akamai said Speedera stole trade secrets from a database run by Keynote Systems, which offers Web site testing services. Speedera denied the charges.