Creator of Internet named Great Briton 2004, and other brief reports ...

* Brian Wilcock of Australia has been given an 18-month jail term, with nine months suspended, for having more than 200 000 images of child pornography on his computer. He was one of hundreds of Australians investigated in Operation Auxin, which formed part of an international operation targeting child-porn users and producers. Full report in The Age

In an effort to combat child abuse and pornography on the Internet and to promote safe Internet use, the Virtual Global Taskforce has launched an international site that is intended to act as a gateway to information on how to use the Internet safely and to provide links to a range of support agencies that can advise and support victims of abuse. In addition it will enable Internet users to report online child abuse in a secure and confidential environment. Full Out-Law.com report * UK consumer group CASPIAN has launched an attempted boycott of Tesco, following the supermarket\'s announcement that it would expand trial programmes that use RFID tags. CASPIAN is worried by the technology, claiming that tagged items can be monitored invisibly right through items consumers normally consider private, like clothing, purses, backpacks and wallets. Full Out-Law.com report * A South African information access solutions company, ez-IT, has launched a battery-powered PC to take Internet access to environments where there is no electricity. The PCs run for 24 to 48 hours, depending on the size of battery used, and the batteries can be recharged using a generator or a motor vehicle. Full ITWeb report * China has banned 50 electronic games, including FIFA Soccer 2005 and Microsoft\'s Age of Mythology, as part of a campaign to combat what it sees as harmful influences on the young. Full AustralianIT report * A Russian security company claims that it has found a way to beat Microsoft’s Windows XP Service Pack 2, the major update aimed at securing customers’ PCs. Positive Technologies published a paper saying that two minor errors in the implementation of the technology allow a knowledgeable programmer to sidestep the protection. Full ZDNet report * Apple has released its first security patch of 2005 to plug some holes in its Mac OS X operating system. The fixes are recommended for all Mac users running server and client versions of Mac OS X 10.3.7 or Mac OS X 10.2.8. Full InternetNews report * Microsoft launched its new search engine in 10 languages across 24 countries. The company is desperate to claw back ground on its competitors, viewing search as one of the keys to retaining its pre-eminence among the next generation of computer users. Full report in The Guardian * Netscape is expected to release next month a test version of a Web browser designed to resist phishing schemes. Netscape has been recharging its browser activity in recent months, boosted by the success of its open-source spin-off, the Mozilla Foundation, and by prospects of increased revenue through browser-based search queries. Full CNET News report