The DMOZ directory is still suffering serious technical problems, a month after they first appeared.

The problem - attributed to a hardware issue - prevents DMOZ editors from being able to log in and edit entries.

The technical issues were first announced on October 25th - but nealy a month later, the original technical issues have not been fixed.

DMOZ - also known as the Open Directory Project (ODP) - is currently owned by AOL, but there remains no word yet an whether AOL are even interested in addressing the technical issues.

DMOZ and has being heavily criticised in recent years over issues such as corruption of editors, poor quality editing, and social politics driving out established editors.

While this has left a lot of bitterness around the webmaster community about the project, it seems that claims that it is dying are finally being realised.

At present DMOZ editors are not being updated as to progress with the technical issues, though it has been speculated that the database itself has failed and may be being rebuilt.

Of course, that presumes that AOL have any interest in dedicating resources to fix it.

Overall, whatever the complaints about DMOZ, I can only hope we see the site archived, if it is not to be fixed.

After all, it was a part of internet history, and while it has suffered some very real problems with operations, it would be a shame if AOL were to simply allow the project to die completely - and be deleted.

However, it could simply be the case that technical problems are being addressed - in which case the question to follow from that is as to what useful role DMOZ can play in a Web 2.0 internet.

Mobile operator O2 has decided to support GSM and 3G mobile technology, rather than Wi-Fi in its next generation of phones. At a London summit in November, O2 rejected Wi-Fi hotzones and WiMax.

Dave Williams, O2’s chief technology officer said “We’ve played with UMA and SIP, but they would require new phones”.

At the summit, Mr Williams demonstrated an Ericsson-built GSM indoor base-station which would use the customer’s DSL to connect to the mobile network.

The box does not need UMA or SIP because it includes a reverse-engineered Sony Ericsson phone which connects to the phone network over the Internet.

The box has a slot to include a SIM card. O2 is considering distributing the box to customers in 2007 as the basis of a triple-play broadband service rolled out by O2’s recently acquired broadband division, Be.

O2 plans to deliver service only to unbundled exchanges, where it does not have to resell BT services. It has decided to delay the launch until it can reach 50 percent of the UK population from such exchanges.

O2 is also considering launching My Bluebook - a service to back up sentimental photos and texts to an O2 server.

Internet users were reminded to be wary of social news sites, after Digg posted a false story claiming that 650,000 Playstation 3’s had been recalled.

The story continued to be front-page news on the site, even after a slew of community members had flagged it as false.

Marketer Michael Gray has already commented that there is an inherent bais in social media sites, and that pro-Apple and Nintendo, and anti-Microsoft and Sony, stories, are frequently regarded as front page news.

For some time there has been a rising war cry online that bloggers and social media sites will replace traditional media - but unfortunately, all we’ve seen them do so far is replace the bias.

Shares in Google have topped over $500 each today, creating a market cap of over $154 billion.

This makes Google the world’s 22nd biggest company by market valuation.

However, Google has only a quarter of the revenues of the lowest earning company in the top 30 by comparison, and isn’t even in the top 60 companies for earnings.

At present, the biggest companies by market cap, are as follows:

As the table illustrates, Google’s excessive ratio of market cap to earnings can only mean the Google stock bubble is getting bigger.

The likelihood is that this can only burst in future - and take a number of related tech stocks down with it.

The IPTV market is enjoying looking to get a boost from the hospitality industry.

One of the leading IPTV vendors, Exterity – whose products are targeting the education, corporate, and hospitality industries – has created a bundle specifically for the hotel industry and is set to launch.

Service providers have dominated the hospitality markets in the past, but more hotels are looking to combine their communications into one package. Exterity is one of the first to create a bundle of TV, internet, and telephony technology into one package customized specifically for the hotel industry.

In an industry that survives or fails by the whims of the customer, many hotels are looking to make their operations more technologically friendly. Over the past few months, hotels have found their way to IPTV.

Since the hotel market is relatively an untapped area for resellers and integrators, Exterity is working with their partners to take advantage of the opportunities by launching the new package, Exterity Hotel IPTV Kit.

Traditionally, the 25 UK Exterity partners have worked with corporate and education. With the transition towards hotels increasing, Exterity is looking for more partners to target the hospitality industry.

Although the innovative vendor does not have any hotel clients at the present, the future looks bright for this market. Exterity Hotel IPTV Kit will give the hospitality industry greater control over their communications and will allow them to adapt the bundle to fit their specific needs.

CBS’s chief research officer, David Poltrack, has said that he doesn’t want their content off YouTube - even if illegally uploaded.

The statement came in an address to the Future of Television Forum at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

According to the Advertising Adage report, David Poltrack said: “When you have something the public really wants, the economic value in that is to come up with a way to satisfy the rights holders and serve the consumers.”

It’s certainly a different stance to the MPIAA and RIAA, who have vigoriously chased claims of copyright violations to ridiculous extremes, such as issuing legal proceedings to dead people and children.

However, what is interesting is that TV networks such as CBS are ad-supported content disitributors in themselves - pretty much like YouTube - while music and film recordings are purchased directly.

The fact that someone at CBS has such a forward thinking approach can only be positive for IPTV in general online - especially as unless is able to put in place relevant disitribution agreements, they are likely set up to receive a train of legal proceedings over copyright.

LG Electronics has extended its mobile phone portfolio with the launch of the SB-120 - the world’s first ‘time-machine’ satellite DMB phone.

Worldwide handset sales are forecast to reach one billion a year by 2009 and advanced technology phones, which provide a wide range of functions, are expected to feature strongly in the global mobile market.

The SB-120 incorporates a standard home TV antenna function to receive broadband DMB that adopts the DMB-receiving System-on-Chip (SoC).

The chip allows users to watch television broadcasts and talk on the phone at the same time.

The phone stores broadcasts in memory that have been received while it was being used as a communications device. It then replays the broadcasts afterwards, enabling continuous viewing.

The handset uses LG Electronics’ handset design technologies and terrestrial broadcast-receiving chip.

According to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, LG Electronics retained the fourth position in handset sales globally in the third quarter of 2006.

Wipro-NewLogic, the semiconductor design services provider has launched its Dual Role Device MAC Intellectual Property core based on the Certified Wireless USB specification from the USB-IF.

The product is one of the first MAC cores in the market based on the Certified Wireless USB specification.

The device can work in Limited Host mode, Device mode or simultaneous Limited Host and Device mode and can therefore be implemented as either a Device or a Dual Role Device.

It is a mix of hardware and software, with the time critical functionalities implemented in hardware and rest of the logic implemented in software. This provides configuration and customization flexibility.

The product is based on Wipro-NewLogic’s silicon proven WiMedia ™ based MAC IP, significantly reducing fabrication and subsequent production risks for its licensees.

Using a WiMedia-based MAC as the basis of development, also allows for smooth transition to other Ultra-Wideband solutions, including WiNET, Bluetooth over UWB and Wireless 1394.

Wipro-NewLogic believes that Certified Wireless USB is a technology with great growth potential and immediate end user needs. The technology is being increasingly adopted by semiconductor companies who are integrating the protocol as part of bigger System on Chip solutions.

Certified Wireless USB is the first high-speed wireless personal interconnect technology suitable for multimedia consumer electronics, PC peripherals, and mobile devices.

It includes the functionality of wired USB while also unwiring the cable connection and providing enhanced support for streaming media CE devices and peripherals.

The technology is used in many applications including transferring images from cameras to laptops, wireless printing, faster downloading of music from PC, faster sharing of images and music between mobile phones.

Microsoft is releasing its Vista operating system next week with the promise of major improvements in security for PC users. Vista is the first major upgrade to the Windows operating system in five years.

Vista will be available to major business users on 30 November 2006. From 30 January 2007 it will come pre-loaded on new PCs, and consumers will be able to buy it off the shelf for upgrades.

The new system includes some major changes from previous versions of Windows. A new interface replaces the familiar filing system based on folders. Folder icons have been replaced with snapshots of data or tiny images of photos.

There is an improved integrated search function which makes locating data as easy as finding a Web site with an internet search engine.

Vista includes more built-security features than any previous version of Windows, including:

• a user account control allowing users to change common settings without requiring administrative privileges. This prevents users from making potentially dangerous changes without limiting their ability to run applications
• the built in Web browser, Microsoft Internet Explorer, protects against phishing and spoofing attacks
• ‘protected mode’ Internet Explorer helps protect user data and configuration settings from being deleted or changed by malicious Web sites or malware
• Windows Defender detects potentially suspicious software and prompts the user before allowing applications to make potentially malicious changes
• outbound filtering in the firewall provides administrative control over peer-to-peer sharing applications and similar applications that businesses may want to restrict
• Windows Service Hardening limits the damage attackers can do if they succeed in compromising the system
• Network Access Protection can prevent clients that do meet security requirements from connecting to an internal network and potentially spreading malware to other machines.

New “Vista capable” PCs come with a free or deeply discounted upgrade, but otherwise, the system costs $100 for the most basic version to $400 for an ‘ultimate’ edition which includes both business and home entertainment features.

Of course, with the recent issue of Microsoft suddenly opening up its code to third-party security vendors, it remains to be seen how much of Microsoft’s confidence is marketing bluff.

Voice over Internet Protocol, the technology which allows a call from a PC to a landline at a cheaper rate than landline to landline, is still considered illegal in India.

The UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) denied reports that VOIP will be liberalized. There had been reports in the Press suggesting other wise.

The TRA’s official position is that VOIP is illegal until it is legalized. The announcement came from the TRA’s manager, administration and public relations, Adnan Al Bahar.

The TRA further pointed out that until there is a firm regulation system in place, legalization will no occur.

Putting even more rain on some techies’ parade, The Director-General of the TRA, Mohamed Al Ghanim also announced that when VOIP does become available, it will only be offered by the countries two licensed operators, etisalat and du.

It had been hoped that the market would be opened to all companies wanting to offer the service.

The TRA was stressing the importance of regulations and careful review after noting problems that other countries are having.

They pointed out that the US, leaders in VOIP technology, has already run into situations with providers going out of business.

The care taken now before entering the VOIP market place will help limit those kinds of problems in India in the future.

The TRA’s officials did make a distinction between the new technology of VOIP and the current communication between PC’s. This kind of communication is legal.

IPTV is making its mark in Europe, while it is just getting off the ground in America.

European and Asian carriers have established enough of a consumer base that it is forecasted that subscriber numbers will reach 17 million by the year 2010, a figure considered conservative by some experts.

European phone companies are looking to IPTV as a way to strike back at cable providers who have introduced VOIP to consumers.

The phone companies are retooling their infrastructure with fiber optic cables, and are boosting the existing copper wiring with DSL broadband technology.

The main challenge that is facing the phone companies’ expansion into IPTV is the unproven nature of the technology itself.

The companies are combating this challenge with a cost effective charge. Technology bundles (including phone, television, and Internet service) are being offered for just 30 euros to 50 euros ($38 - $63).

Things are quickly falling into place for a market boom in Europe. Like many other countries, consumers are fed up with their cable providers and eager for a choice.

There are still plenty of pitfalls to overcome. Slow remote controls, telecast piracy, and bandwidth are just some of the industry shortcomings.

IPTV is considered the premiere way to view sports programs. In a region that places a high value on their sports, the shortcomings will be quickly overcome.

Oil prices appear to have settled to new lows after huge increases over the past 18 months.

WTI December contracts were 44 cents lower to $55.82 per barrel on Friday on the New York Mercantile Exchange

A $2.50 fall on Thursday was attributed to false rumours of increased inventories, but even though unfounded, traders seem unconcerned about the state of the oil economy at present.

This could lead to a continued lower oil price compared to the recent highs in July.

The good news is that this should ease inflationary prices if sustained.

However, just as it took nearly a year to increase inflation and force interest rates up, it could take nearly as long to allow them to fall.

BSkyB has bought a 17.9% share in ITV.

This could potentially cause problems for a proposed merger of ITV and NTL which was announced earlier in the week.

Richard Branson is currently the majority sharehold in NTL and had openly supported the merging of NTL with ITV, which could then open up new digital and internet TV services.

However, the news had been closely followed by a proposed bid by RTL for ITV.

ITV has been suffering from declining audiences and recently lost sponsorship of Coronation Street by Cadburys.

IT leaves the company open to take-over, but it remains to be seen whether BSkyB will seek to enlarge their share, and whether their new purchased stake will complicate any coming take over offers.

Universal Music has started legal proceedings against MySpace for alleged copyright infringement.

It comes only weeks after Google bought the online video service YouTube, and shows the increasing pressure that social networking sites are under over copyright issues.

Copyright violations have long been a potential problem for many social networking sites - YouTube has already been highlighted as a major target for the MPIAA, and it’s believed that $500 million has already been set aside from the purchase to defend against copyright proceedings brought against YouTube.

That MySpace should be the focus of legal action was least expected.

However, that Universal should sue MySpace shouldn’t be a great surprise - the company has a record of very aggressively suing internet providers for alleged infringements of copyright, even where it licences content to the vendors.

For example, Universal previously MP3.com for hosting content already licenced from Universal, because the type of file storage was technically different than agreed.

Overall, the RIAA and MPIAA companies have been aggressively chasing sites that may be suspected of copyright infringements.

But perhaps it’s time that such companies looked more at marketing their products in the 21st century to a 21st century audience, instead of a 20th century mentality that may ultimately alienate consumers.

Marketing Experiments (ME) - who recently acquired Marketing Shrepa - released a study that claimed that viral marketing via videos proved an incredibly cost-effective way to get conversions.

However, the study has proved to be controversially flawed.

In the study, the researchers spent $9600 creating 28 videos, which were then syndicated on YouTube, Google Video, and others.

Each video was simply a non-promotional video, with a link to a website at the end.

According to ME, over a 60 days period they videos were viewed over 300,000 times, and generated over 4,000 visitors to the targetd website, by clicking the link at the end of the videos.

1.49% of this traffic was then converted into newsletter subscribers.

ME then claim this as far more effective than PPC, citing PPC as requiring around $20 spend per subscriber.

The problem is, ME claim that the advertising and cost per acquisition (CPA) cost of the video marketing experiment was zero.

However, then failed to factor in their initial $10,000 spend on producing the videos.

Additionally, converting 1.49% of 4,162 visitors means they only got 62 newsletter subscribers. For a cost of almost $10,000.

Which leaves a CPA of $161.29 per newsletter subscriber. Far more than the estimated $20 CPA through PPC.

Overall, the point is that syndication of content - whether via YouTube, Google Search, or news services, can provide a free source of traffic.

However, the cost of the development of that content still needs to be factored into acquisition costs - something Marketing Experiments obviously failed to do.

Apple has appointed a new senior vice president and general counsel for the company.

Donald J. Rosenberg moves in from IBM to replace Nancy Heinen, who left mysteriously in May earlier this year.

The event of change of senior VP is seen by many as widely linked to the share options scandal that has rocked most of the tech companies in America, including Apple.

The share options scandal involves the backdating of shares within a company when allocated, in order to retain key workers.

Technology companies have been specifically keen to hold onto their most valuable employees, and many may have fallen foul of US Securities and Exchange Commission investigations because of this.

More than 120 companies have been, or are currently being, investigated by the SEC, most of which are focused in America’s Silicon Valley.

Last month Apple’s Chief Financial Officer, Fred Anderson, resigned over the issue, while Steve Jobs, though cleared of wrongdoing, has already been forced to personally apologise.

However, while Apple has to ride out the scandal along with the rest of corporate America, business is still looking strong for the company.

Over the past year they sold an average of 106,000 iPods every day - with an additional 20 million expected to be sold over the coming Christmas shopping season.

The European Union is investigating the credit card industry, to determine whether fair practices are being applied in Europe.

Currently US firms Mastercard and Visa dominate the industry, and the EU is trying to determine if these are undermining potential rival companies with their fee structures.

While any potential action from an investigation are a long way off, this could be a significant first step to a sea change in credit card processing in Europe.

At present most ecommerce sites try to ensure they can transact payments by the big card companies - so if the EU determines that other card companies require due leverage then this could cause confusion.

Additionally, in the event that there are significant new players in the credit card industry, merchants will need to ensure that third-party payment processors are able to handle them.

We await the results of this investigation with interest.

According to a uSwitch customer survey, broadband customers are increasingly unhappy with their service.

While uSwitch highlights that “most providers fail to match rising customer numbers with improved services and technology”, the truth is probably more unsettling.

Simply put, too often providers invest very little in customer and technical support departments - leaving customers unable to quickly resolve issues affecting their service.

For example, from our own experience, even business broadband customers using Pipex are commonly left holding the phone for 20 minutes before being answered.

Additionally, companies such as BT are so departmentalised that often customers can end up being pushed around in circles, unable to get issues resolved.

Overall, it seems that many companies have seen broadband subscriptions as easy money to tap into, but fail to appreciate - or properly invest in - customer and technical support.

Populer merchant payment processing gateway, Protx, has been acquired by Sage.

It appears the giant of accountancy and money management is looking to integrate its software direct with online processing:

The sale will give Sage the capability to integrate the Protx secure payment systems with their business management software, opening up new possibilities for potential and existing merchants. In time, merchants will be able to link and integrate their payment processing with back-office accounting, stock control and CRM applications in one business solution.

Overall, it’s an interesting move, especially in light of how other companies are trying to integrate various online and offline activities - not least Google and Microsoft.

However, this could very much provide a taster of what Google and Microsoft may both be trying to achieve in the longterm.

After all, Google already has it’s own online office management software, but has yet to integrate it with with PPC marketing.

A glimpse of the future of online processing, perhaps?

Correction: It appears that PDS has already been closed down, but stories about it’s existence continue to circulate on the internet as a new development (see comments below).

Businesses across the UK are being warned to be careful of a scam by a company by the name of Parcel Delivery Service.

The scam involves the random posting of cards claiming to be from PDS (Parcel Delivery Service), suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel.

The card then prompts victims to call a premium rate number - 0306 6611911 - in order to arrange collection of the parcel.

However, there is no parcel, and anyone who calls the number and hears a recorded message will already have been billed £15 for the phone call.

Trading Standards officers and the Royal Mail are already aware of the scam, and recommend anyone who receives a card from PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) to call the Royal Mail Fraud helpline at: 02072396655.

Alternatively contact the premium rate service regulator ICSTIS.