Online U.S. cedes control over Icann

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the body that oversees some of the core mechanisms of the internet, has been granted independence from the United States government. On Wednesday, Icann and the US Department of Commerce announced that they had signed a new agreement that states the internet body is "independent and not controlled by any one entity". It also commits Icann to remaining a private, not-for-profit organization.

Via ZDNet

UK broadband 'not ready for tomorrow'

According to the report from IT giant Cisco, the UK's systems were found to be "meeting needs for today", but lagging behind most European neighbours including Bulgaria and Latvia, a host of Asian countries and the US. Technologically-advanced Japan and South Korea were leading the way in terms of overall quality, the study found, with their broadband systems already rated "ready for tomorrow".

Via The Telegraph

The anti-virus software that's modelled on ants

For most people, the reaction to discovering that your computer has a bug is to throw your hands in the air, swear and call a friend. That might be about to change, now that US researchers have discovered a fresh approach to computer security that takes real-life bugs as its inspiration. Their idea? Hordes of "digital ants" that find and destroy viruses and computer worms on your PC.

Via The Guardian

Rwanda reaches for a regional technology hub

Rwanda is aiming to become a regional hub for African information technology, and the country is already in the process of laying a broadband network throughout Kigali that could, by the end of next year, surpass much that the UK has to offer. The roads are currently being dug up, largely by Chinese contractors, to lay a network of fibre-optic cables that will offer super-fast broadband speeds, and a new undersea cable has already been connected that will link this part of the continent to the web at much faster speeds than before.

Via The Telegraph

Touching: All Rumors Point To The End Of Keys/Buttons

Anyone who has followed Apple news/rumors/patents over the past couple of years has probably noticed a certain trend emerging: Apple seems to be slowly shifting its entire line of products to touch-based computing. That is to say, it's moving its products away from buttons and keys, towards manipulation through a touchscreen interface.

Via Techcrunch

Billionaire clown heads to space station

A Canadian circus tycoon, an American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut blasted off in a spacecraft from the Kazakh steppe Wednesday on a journey to the International Space Station. Minutes after lifting off from the Baikonur launch facility, the Soyuz capsule shed its rocket stages and entered orbit. On board were Cirque du Soleil founder and space tourist Guy Laliberte along with crew members Jeffrey Williams and Maxim Surayev. Friends and family on the ground cheered and hugged one another when an announcement that the ship was in orbit came over the loudspeaker. They chanted "Guy! Guy!" and broke out singing Elton John's "Rocket Man."

Via Associated Press