Telstra, SkyTower, Phantom Piracy & Dogs

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman is currently evaluating Telstra's ADSL service level agreement, as customers of the network continue to suffer lengthy outages.

SkyTower, a US-based technology company, is planning to launch crewless solar-powered airplanes that would provide entire cities with broadband Internet access and 3G mobile services coming from 70,000 feet above the ground.

A flaw in the way annual software usage statistics are compiled may have led to legal distribution of open-source programs being lumped with illegal trafficking in desktop applications, inflating losses to industry through 'phantom' piracy. The annual software piracy statistics — published by trade groups the US Business Software Alliance and Business Software Association of Australia — are compiled from several sources but none take into account the growing use of open-source desktop applications.

Todd, a young black Labrador, paddled for 10 miles over six hours, dodging ferries, oil tankers and yachts to reach land after falling overboard from his master's boat off the southern English coast.