Euro MPs warn of UN net control

ITU secretary-general Dr Hamadoun Toure has said any changes must be agreed on by all countries Continue reading the main storyRelated StoriesGoogle attacks net treaty talksRussia blacklist law takes effectUS resists losing control of net The UN should not be allowed to take over control of the internet, Euro MPs have warned.

International governments are set to agree a new information and communications treaty next month.

Reports in the Russian press have suggested the Kremlin and others wanted control of key internet systems passed to a UN agency.

Internet control currently lies largely with US-based groups such as Icann, which regulates the web address system.

The European Parliament has said the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) was "not the appropriate body" to have authority.

The ITU has said a new treaty was needed to ensure "the free flow of information around the world, promoting affordable and equitable access for all and laying the foundation for ongoing innovation and market growth".

The UN agency is hosting the conference to draw up the treaty between 3 and 14 December in Dubai.

Members of the European Parliament backed a resolution which urged member states to reject changes to the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR) which would "negatively impact the internet, its architecture, operations, content and security, business relations, internet governance and the free flow of information online".

'Equal rights'

The ITRs are designed to ensure interoperability of telecoms equipment and services across the world. The last major revision was in 1988.

Continue reading the main story“Start QuoteWhatever one single country does not accept will not pass.”End QuoteDr Hamadoun ToureSecretary-general, ITU The negotiation process surrounding a new treaty has been criticised for being conducted largely out of the public's eye.

However, a site called Wcitleaks, run by researchers at George Mason University, has published several document's relating to the new treaty.

Among them was a proposal from Russia suggesting that the US should have less control over the internet's operation.

"Member states shall have equal rights to manage the internet, including in regard to the allotment, assignment and reclamation of internet numbering, naming, addressing and identification resources and to support for the operation and development of basic internet infrastructure," it said in a document submitted on 17 November.

'Limited access'

The European Parliament's objection follows loud opposition from search giant Google, which has invited concerned internet users to sign a petition.

"The International Telecommunication Union is bringing together regulators from around the world to renegotiate a decades-old communications treaty," the company wrote.

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Sinofsky: I Didn't Try to Gain Control of Windows Phone

Former Windows chief Steven Sinofsky, who abruptly announced his departure from Microsoft earlier this week, is denying that he left after failing to bring the Windows Phone division under his control.

Sinofsky made his declaration in the comments section of former Microsoft engineer Hal Berenson's blog, who wrote about Sinofsky's departure on Tuesday. In that post, Berenson suggested that Sinofsky "had apparently lost recent battles to bring both Windows Phone and the Developer Division under his control."

Sinofsky, however, said that was not the case.

"I never initiated any discussions to bring together the organizations/products you describe and no one ever approached me to manage them as part of Windows 7 or 8," Sinofsky wrote.

"If we had worked together you would know that historically, very few things moved into teams I managed," Sinofsky continued.

6 High-Profile Tech Execs Who Got the Boot

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Control Your Home Lighting With Smartphone-Friendly Hue

with color-changing LED bulbs that cast vibrant colors throughout your home. Hue is sold exclusively through the Apple Store and Apple.com.

Over the past week, I’ve cast colors throughout my apartment that might remind you of a disco dance floor, or a sunset-filled room. My bedroom became a more relaxing reading environment. (I was very lucky, in that my neighborhood maintained power as Hurricane Sandy tore through New York City.)

The Hue lights are pure fun, and the app is easy to use. I really liked the ability to pull photos from my smartphone’s camera roll to create scenes that mimic places I’ve actually been, like “Sunset in Florida” or “San Francisco Sky,” or even “Grand Central Terminal.” If you get tired of the colors, these LEDs will also give off adjustable white light.

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