DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/10 Oct) -- Internet cafÊ owners are forming a Mindanao-wide association to unite and to address their issues collectively, an official of the Internet Cafe Association of Davao City (ICAD) said.

At least five local internet associations in Mindanao have signified intention to attend the 6th Mindanao ICT Congress this month where the Internet Associations in Mindanao Summit is a side event.

He cited that associations in the cities of Iligan, Midsayap, Tagum, Digos, Davao and the province of Compostela Valley have confirmed attendance to the summit since last week.

The 6th MICT Congress, which would be held back-to-back with the 1st BIMP-EAGA ICT Conference, will run from Oct. 23 to 24.

Adolfo Solanor, ICAD president, told MindaNews Wednesday the forming of an island-wide group could be among the major actions to be taken when the internet cafÊ associations meet on Oct. 22.

ICAD is among the member-associations of ICT Davao, a group of Davao City's ICT stakeholders.

ICAD also has organized the e-lympics online gaming tournament from Oct. 21 to 23.

Solanor told the Club 888 press forum Wednesday internet cafÊs have different local issues such as stable electricity, connectivity and also internet rates.

He said cut-throat competition has brought down internet fees to as low as P5 per hour, stretching the business viability of internet cafes in Davao. In 2002, internet rental fees in Davao ranged between P30 and P50 per hour.

The city has around 450 internet cafes, which almost tripled in number since five years ago.

Solanor said the presence of wifi hotspots and broadband internet connection in residential areas have affected sales of internet cafÊs.

He admitted that the real winners of the low access cost are the internet users, but he said it is at the cost of the local internet access industry.
He stressed that the internet cafÊ industry are at the frontlines of the ICT industry.

Focusing their attention on a new segment of the market, last week Fusion Telecommunications International, Inc. announced that they have a new business solution specifically designed for Internet cafe owners. With Internet cafes experiencing a number of corporate and international customers in their course of business, this new product will give cafe owners the ability to offer VoIP services to their customers and provide more marketability for Fusion's VoIP network. Additionally, cafe owners will have complete control over the system, having the ability to set their own calling rates and plans, create invoices for their clients and more.

'Fusion is pleased to announce this solution for Internet Cafe owners throughout the world,' said Matthew Rosen, President and CEO of Fusion. 'We believe our Internet Cafe Solution provides business owners with the outstanding quality of the Fusion VoIP network and the best possible suite of business management tools,' he continued. 'In short, we believe it's everything a business owner needs to sell and manage a VoIP offering for a more successful and profitable Internet Cafe.'

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- At the Internet cafes popping up around this once culturally oppressed city, the computer cubicles usually have little doors that web surfers can shut behind them.

The reason is simple, says Abdul Qader, a former Toronto resident and owner of one Internet cafe.

In the birthplace of the Taliban, which barred people from so much as listening to the radio or taking photographs, most of the cafes' male Muslim patrons are visiting websites best viewed in private.

"The young generation use it for the sex," Qader concedes with a chuckle. "I think the word 'sex' is used here more than anywhere else in the world."

Despite the city's reputation for piety, he maintains, the interest in pornography should come as no surprise. This is, after all, a land where extra-marital relations are virtually a capital offence, and only the most daring woman exposes her chin for all to see.

"We are a sexually deprived nation," states Qader, who spent a few years as a refugee in Canada in the mid-1990s. "At 25 years, a husband cannot even see his wife ... This is a basic human, psychological need. Especially the young ones, they are curious about how it is."

Even so, Qader admits, his own business has made the "ethical" decision to have no privacy doors on its computer kiosks.

Internet cafes started emerging here a year or two ago, and are still a phenomenon primarily of the young and educated.

But their mere presence - and their proprietors' democratic approach to their use - is a graphic sign of change in Kandahar, where the Taliban first introduced its almost surreal brand of Islam. The fundamentalist government banned movies, videos, dancing and even music, which one mullah said "creates a strain in the mind and hampers the study of Islam."

As the Internet revolution belatedly comes to conservative southern Afghanistan, users are e-mailing family in other countries, digging up information for school studies, and communicating with western organizations for which they do work.

"It is the most beneficial thing in the world," raves Basir Ahmad, a 20-year-old cafe customer who this week was seeking out websites related to his English-language Grade 12 classes.

Mohammed Ihsan, 17, is another booster of the Net, which he was using this week to study up for a chance to compete in an international biology olympiad. Clad in the same combination of long, flowing shirt and baggy pants sported by virtually every Kandahar male, Ihsan said he also enjoys fashion and news sites.

But he acknowledges that some parts of the information highway should be off limits here.

"There are a lot of harmful things that are not allowed for Muslims," he says, referring to the web's pornographic sites. "If they are true Muslims, they are not watching this."

Cafe owners tend to skirt the porn issue, but are surprisingly firm about not censoring their customers.

Muslims do not all observe their faith in the same way, and web users do not all have the same standards, says Sharia Popal, of Zamrot Internet Cafe, which gives clients free rein on the Net.

"Some people are religious and go to mosque every day; some people are religious and just pray," he says. "Some people are using the Internet for porn; some people are using it for good things. It belongs to the people."

Mohammed Fahim of the Al Hadi Net Cafe said he met some resistance when he started the business about five months ago, with one landlord refusing to rent him space. He eventually found a more willing property owner and, at rates of less than $1 an hour, the service is increasingly popular. He says people come for "hours and hours" of surfing, often expanding their limited knowledge of the outside world.

But if learning is not what customers have in mind, Al Hadi will not stand in the way.

"I'm not so strict. It is the people's wishes. If they want to go to a sex website, they can watch it," says Fahim. "We cannot stop them."

Even as more educational sites enlighten Afghans about the world around them, however, the accessibility of Internet porn may be creating some new myths about the average westerner.

To many Afghan web surfers, they are "very sexy people, very pretty people, very well-built people," laughs Qader, adding Afghans seem to think that westerners "just get the girl and they can do it anywhere, any place."

China will license no new Internet cafes this year while regulators carry out an industry-wide inspection, the government says, amid official concern that online material is harming young people.

Investigators will look into whether Internet cafes are improperly renting out their licenses or failing to register their customers' identities, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce said on its Web site.

''Industry and commerce bureaus at all levels must not license any new Internet cafes in 2007,'' said the notice, dated May 30.

The communist government encourages Web use for business and education, but authorities are worried it gives children access to violent games, sexually explicit material and gambling Web sites.

President Hu Jintao has ordered Chinese authorities to clean up ''Internet culture,'' and the government launched a crackdown in April on online pornography.

China has the world's second-largest population of Internet users, with 137 million people online, and is on track to surpass the United States as the largest online population in two years.

The government tries to block access to online material deemed obscene or subversive.

Internet cafes are hugely popular with customers who spend hours playing online games that link multiple competitors.

Last week, a Shanghai court ordered operators of an Internet cafe to pay $11,200 to the family of a 15-year-old boy who collapsed and died after playing online games for two straight days, the newspaper China Youth Daily reported. Internet cafes are supposed to limit the number of hours that minors are online.

Shanghai Minhang District People's Court on May 31 ordered Shanghai Internet cafe Changyou Cafe to pay the parents of a 15-year old boy 86,000 Yuan after the boy died after playing online games at the Internet cafe for 48 hours straight, reports China Youth Daily. The boy's parents sued the Internet cafe, asking for 300,000 Yuan in compensation.

THE Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) Anti-Economic Crimes Task Force raided an internet cafe along C.M. Recto Street and seized 28 computer units found to contain pirated softwares.

The owner John Radley Belen Barrientos of Clickerz Internet Cafe at City Triangle, and a resident of Rolling Hills subdivision, Davao City, will be charged with violation of Republic Act 8293 otherwise known as the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.

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"Under surveillance na itong internet cafÊ (This is already under surveillance). Pagpunta namin, ayaw sana nilang pumayag (When we arrived, they refused to let us in) and they were questioning the legality of the search warrant," CIDG Anti-Economic Crimes Task Force section head, Chief Superintendent Nestor Babagay, told Sun.Star Davao.

Babagay said when they went to the internet cafe they were armed with a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 33 Judge Reynaldo Ros based in Manila.

"Pinakuha pa nila kami ng witness from the barangay so, pinagbigyan namin sila (They asked for witness from the barangay, and we consented). Noong una, arrogant pa sila pero naging okey na 'nung pinakitaan na namin sila ng papers (At first, they were arrogant, but when we saw the papers we are holding they start consenting)," Babagay said.

He said the raid was a joint operation with the Microsoft Philippines, the complainant.

"Kasama namin ang abogado ng (With us is a lawyer from) Microsoft Philippines and will also file the appropriate charges against the owner of the internet cafe," Babagay said.

He said the computers will be confiscated and the owner will be inquested at the City Prosecution Office as soon as proper documentation will be made.

"May maiwan lang siguro na tatlo, un-operational eh.'Di na rin namin ipa open kasi di rin nila ginagamit sa (Left behind were three units that are non-operational. They were no longer opened since they are not being used in the) operation ng (of) business," Babagay said.

With the China government set to stop issuing Internet cafe licenses starting on July 1, 2007, motherboard makers including Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), Asustek Computer and Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) are expected to see a decrease in sales in the short term, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report citing sources at motherboard makers. The Internet cafe market has been considered an important sales channel in China for motherboard makers the sources added.

The sources noted, with the desktop PC market already close to saturation along with pricing competition from brand-name vendors such as Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Dell, the channel motherboard market has been shrinking over the past few years, while the brand-name market has expanded. The China government's restrictions could lead to a boost in sales of branded desktop PCs for home-use, added the paper.

Iran's first female-only Internet cafe has opened near the capital Tehran aimed at creating an "appropriate atmosphere" for young women, a semi-official Iranian news agency said on Monday.

Under strict Islamic law introduced after Iran's 1979 revolution, men and women who are not related should not mix in public, even though this ban is often broken in practice, for example in several Internet cafes in Tehran.

Many young people in Iran are avid users of the Internet, some using chatrooms to socialize with the opposite sex.

"The atmosphere of most Internet cafes in the city is not appropriate for girls, therefore this Internet cafe has been started up in a complete female atmosphere," Mehr News Agency said.

Customers in the city of Karaj west of Tehran will enjoy high speed Internet and free computer lessons, it said, adding the cafe operated under the supervision of a student organization.

Iranian officials say strict rules on sex segregation as well as the Islamic dress code for women are aimed at protecting them and are not restricting their rights.

Parts of Iranian beaches are reserved for women and there are also parks for women only. Officials have previously announced the establishment of a female-only island in a northwestern lake as well as a taxi company serving women only.

Police last month launched a crackdown on women flouting the dress code during the warm summer months. Under Islamic law, women are obliged to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes to disguise their figures.

Since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the presidency in 2005, promising a return to the values of the revolution, hardliners have pressed for tighter controls on "immoral behavior".

American Round the World Sailor Bruce Schwab is trapped in an internet cafÊ in La Rochelle in Western France. He is there preparing for an Atlantic delivery and went to the bathroom just before closing time, last night his time.

He wrote just a few minutes ago :'Help! I'm emailing from an internet cafe that I've been trapped in all night. No, I'm not joking, although it IS a funny story. After a very late dinner with crewmembers Mike, Carina, Anna, and volunteer Thomas, I came here to catch up on email and download some large weather files.

'I stayed right to closing time...and there were three people in the cafe when I went into the bathroom to use the john and brush my teeth (saving the walk to the other side of the marina after getting to the boat). I heard the sliding of doors and clanking of locks, and rushed out...too late to catch the tired and rushing young employee before he was out of earshot. I guess I took to long to brush my teeth?

'Rattling the doors and some shouts at the late hour was of no use. No phone in here, but of course I have free internet...so I got on Skype and made some calls trying to get the police. I called at least five different police stations. However, my number must have appeared as something strange as they would not answer or I would get a click and disconnect after letting it ring for a long time.

'Called the boat...but evidently the crew had obviously gone to sleep on the boat and turned off all the phones. In the wee hours I wound chatting on Skype with friends in Spain, Florida, and Texas; and trying different numbers to call that we dug up on the internet. No go.

'So here I sit, waiting for morning opening of the opening of the internet cafe. I took a brief nap on a table. Hopefully the new coffee-swilling online gaming internet junkie cafe kid will arrive soon.

'Not much sleep on the table, so I'm a little drowsy. But I guess its good practice for the coming watch schedule. And now I've had a chance to catch up on communication with you....;-)

'When you hear from me again, I will have escaped from the Akromicro Internet cafe, in the old port of La Rochelle. Sheesh.'

A 17-YEAR-old Japanese boy suspected of killing and beheading his mother went to an internet cafe with her head in a bag and watched a music DVD before turning himself in, media reports said today.

The teenager, arrested yesterday on suspicion of murder, spent about two hours at the cafe watching a hip-hop DVD in his cubicle and then took a taxi to a local police station, the reports said.

Media quoted employees of the cafe as saying the youth, a student at a local high school, was carrying a school bag and that one of his hands was wrapped in bandage.

Police in rural Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima prefecture, 200km north of Tokyo, arrested the teenager after he walked into a police station early yesterday carrying a severed human head in a bag. Officers found a beheaded body in the apartment where he lived.

The teen - who had not been attending school recently and was being treated by a psychiatrist - told police he killed his mother on Monday evening while she was asleep, media said.

Japan has been shocked by a number of sensational and gruesome crimes by youths in recent years, including the murder and beheading of an 11-year-old boy by a 14-year-old schoolboy in the western city of Kobe in 1997.

In 2004, an 11-year-old schoolgirl stabbed a classmate to death at their school, prompting calls for harsher punishment against juvenile crime.

A Bill to lower the age at which minors can be sent to reformatories to 12 from 14 was passed by the lower house of parliament last month. The Bill remains controversial and still needs approval from the upper house before becoming law.

Government statistics show that overall juvenile crime including murder by minors - those under 20 - has declined in recent years.

A report published by market intelligence firm Niko Partners, specialists in the Chinese game industry, states that the country's video game market saw spectacular growth in 2006.

The report found that revenue from the overall video game market jumped by 68% last year, with the online gaming sector generating USD 995 million in revenue, an increase of 74% from the previous year.

Unsurprisingly, the report singled out China's booming internet cafe culture as the main driver for this growth. The introduction of free-to-play massively multiplayer online games - in which players pay for virtual items - has, according to Niko's managing partner Lisa Cosmas Hanson, further stimulated this trend.

"Chinese gamers pour into the cafes every day to play online and LAN games with friends. They spend money in the games on virtual gifts for friends, services for their characters, and virtual items to help with leveling," said Hanson. "The intertwined nature of China's Internet cafes, social gaming culture, and few entertainment alternatives at a low price point, will continue to be the basis for strong growth through 2011."

But the Niko report goes on to paint a picture of overall good health for the Chinese market. Sales of offline PC games, mostly from Taiwan, rose 28.5 per cent to 904,000 units in 2006. And alongside the 20 million PCs in China's 225,000 internet cafes are an increasing number of consoles, although these are all grey imports, console hardware currently being prohibited in China.

Hanson added: "If a game company can get an impressive game or console to market in China, the gamers there will embrace it. That said, getting a product into the market is not easy. The complex regulatory environment in China is still the greatest barrier to entry for foreign game companies."

China added 3.4 million gamers in 2006, reaching a total gaming population of 37.5 million, 90 per cent of whom play online games. Niko projects this number to increase to 71.9 million gamers by 2011.

Cyber crooks are installing key-logging malware on public computers located in hotels and Internet cafes in order to steal log-in details that are used to hack into and hijack online brokerage accounts to conduct pump and dump scams.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has found that online fraudsters are targeting unsuspecting hotel guests and users of Internet cafes.

When investors use the public computers to check portfolios or make a trade, fraudsters are able to capture usernames and passwords. Funds are then looted from the brokerage accounts and used to drive up the prices of stocks the frudsters had bought earlier. The stock is then sold at a profit.

In an interview with Bloomberg reporters, Shawn Henry, deputy assistant director of the FBI's cyber division, said people wouldn't think twice about using a computer in an Internet cafe or business centre in a hotel, but he warns investors not to use computers they don't know are secure.

Last year E*Trade said online brokerage hacking cost it $18 million in losses in the third quarter alone. TD Ameritrade accounts have also been hit by the schemes.

US authorities have stepped up the fight against the hackers and in March prosecutors filed federal charges against three Indian nationals who allegedly hijacked online brokerage accounts in the US in order to conduct pump and dump scams.

Earlier the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) obtained emergency court orders freezing funds contained in accounts held by a Latvia-based bank and an Estonian-based corporation that had allegedly been involved in market manipulation schemes.

The regulator also suspended trading in 35 over-the-counter penny stocks that have been the subject of repeated spam e-mail campaigns.

Survey shows a dramatic increase in customers that use cafes as a hotel due to poverty, high rental costs

In recent years, Japan has seen an increase in Internet and Manga Cafes that are open 24 hours. These cafes include conveniences such as unlimited drinks, a large library of manga, private booths for internet and video game use, and (in some locations) showers that customers can use. Although their popularity continues to grow, these cafes are now the focus of what the Japanese government considers to be a serious social problem.

According to a survey conducted by the non-profit group Metro Tokyo Youth Union (Shutoken Seinen Union) has revealed an unusual trend at Manga and Internet Cafes in Japan: more and more of the people who use the cafes are staying there for extended periods of time. The survey results were made public in early Saturday editions of the Mainichi Shinbun and Daily Yomiuri.

The survey was conducted at 34 cafes in 10 different prefectures through interviews with 85 individual cafe customers. The results of the survey underscore growing concern by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare that increased use of the cafes as a place to stay is a sign of increased poverty. The Ministry is planning to conduct their own investigation of the problem as well.

Of the 34 cafes surveyed, 26 cafes located across all 10 prefectures included have young customers that have been staying there for extended periods of time. Some of the cafes surveyed had more than 10 customers that were in a long term stay. Among those surveyed, there were young people without homes as well as people who are renting an apartment of their own. A considerable amount of those surveyed have been using the cafes as cheap lodging when they are working far from home or on business trips.

The surveys revealed that life at the cafes can be difficult. One unnamed 24-year old-male customer interviewed used to work a low wage job at a TV station but quit when the work became too much to handle. Since quitting, he has been making approximately 200,000 yen (about US$1,800) a month but has been unable to pay the fees required for a new apartment. As a result, he has been living in the Manga/Internet Cafe for 2 years. He says that there are 30 people who are also "living" in the cafe.

The cafe can also serve as a refuge: one person interviewed in Nara Prefecture stated that he only makes 80,000 yen a month and is often scolded by his parents at home. As a result, he often stays at the cafe.

Typically, use of a Manga and Internet Cafe for one hour costs 200-300 yen. During that time, the customer can read whatever manga they wish, Many cafes offer nighttime specials, where customers can stay the entire night after a set time for a lower price, typically 1,500 yen. Shin Kawasoe, Secretary General of the Metro Tokyo Youth Union, states, "For young people who do not have a steady income, it is easier for them to live [at a cafe]. Before discussing self-responsibility in cases like these, it is necessary that we develop some kind of administrative support [for them]."

I'm Barry Petersen and this Letter from Asia comes from Beijing. China's leaders can't seem to figure out how to deal with the internet. On one hand, as a potential for the future, they embrace it so strongly that dial-up internet access is provided free to all Chinese people with a computer. On the other hand, when people get a bit too free with their thoughts of opinions, the government keeps trying to figure out how to put the genie back into the bottle.

Anne Stevenson-Yang is director of Beijing consulting firm, J.L. McGregor. She keeps an eye on changes to the internet and how the government reacts to what's going on. Internet cafes are now a big issue with the government. To us, it's innocent fun; To the Chinese government, it's serious business.

Says Stevenson-Yang, "If you are sitting there in an internet cafe, you know, what are you really doing? Who are you talking to? Is it healthy for you to be talking to that person? Are you ever going to meet? You know, suppose somebody were to - God forbid - float a petition on the internet. And let's say all get together. How do you monitor that and make sure it doesn't happen?"

Call it old-think versus reality. In the old days, the party reigned supreme. There were people right down the block you lived on to enforce what the leaders mandated. Then there was the army or the police to back that up. But even with internet police, is it impossible to monitor more than a fraction of the estimated 78-million net users?

New regulations will try reigning in game use and imposing stricter I.D.'s. "Who has already won?" says Stevenson-Yang. "You know life, life wins! And now, all of a sudden it's become this massive form of social dialogue where everybody has a blog and posts pictures of their kids and discusses them. Everybody builds their own system, has their community site. Everybody has something that they do on the internet and has met people they wouldn't have met if they'd never been to the internet. [They're involved in things they wouldn't have been involved in]. Who knows where it goes?"

And that is the dilemma for the Chinese government; where does it go? They need - and want - the internet as they push progress. They want a new generation that is as technologically savvy as any in the world. They just want to keep control as it's all happening. To which most internet users, and critics, can sum that wish up in two words: fat chance.

The next time you splurge on a double latte and sip it while browsing the Internet via the cafe's Wi-Fi, beware of the "evil twin."

That's the term for a Wi-Fi access point that appears to be a legitimate one offered on the premises, but actually has been set up by a hacker to eavesdrop on wireless communications among Internet surfers. Unfortunately, experts say there is little consumers can do to protect themselves, but enterprises may be in better shape.

With the growth in wireless networks, the "evil twin" type of attack is on the rise, said Phil Cracknell, president of the U.K. branch of the Information Systems Security Association. Such attacks are much easier than others seeking logins or passwords, such as phishing, which involves setting up a fraudulent Web site and luring people there, Cracknell said.

A rogue Wi-Fi connection can be set up on a laptop with a bit of simple programming and a special USB thumb drive that acts as an access point. The access points are hard to trace, since they can suddenly be shut off, and are easy to build, Cracknell said.

The growth in the number of Wi-Fi networks poses increasing opportunities for hackers, who can make their networks appear to be legitimate by simply giving their access point a similar name to the Wi-Fi network on the premises. Since the hacker may be physically closer to the victim than the real access point, their signal will be stronger, potentially drawing more victims.

The hacker's computer can be configured to pass the person through to the legitimate access point while monitoring the traffic of the victim. Several free programs available on the Internet can decode packets to reveal clear-text logins and passwords.

"You are going to harvest some incredible information in a short span of time with a rogue hot spot," Cracknell said.

Corporate users can protect themselves by using VPN when logging into company servers, Cracknell said. But consumers are at a particular disadvantage, since they are likely not using VPN and will access free Web e-mail applications that could send passwords in clear text.

Wi-Fi hot spot owners tend to be "absolutely ignorant" of the attack, although they should regularly monitor their network for rogue access points, Cracknell said. Another problem is reporting: victims may not even know how their information was pinched, and those who run the hot spot may be reluctant to reveal that hackers exploited their network.

Consumers can protect themselves at least one way: be wary of free hot spots. Many airports and cafes charge for access, so a free hot spot could be designed to ensnare potential victims. Also, the attack has been used in hotels, with the "evil twin" actually coming from a nearby hacker guest.

The risk is still great. "This [attack] is foolproof to a degree," Cracknell said.

Are you planning on visiting Paris any time soon? Will you need to find an internet cafe? I did a search recently and was astounded at how many internet cafes in Paris there really are.

It got me thinking about the first time I typed on a keyboard in Paris [many moons ago now]and how confused I was when the letters appearing on the computer screen didn't match what I had typed ... or THOUGHT I'd typed ...

That was my introduction to foreign language keyboards - I've come a long way since then.

Way back then when the internet was a pup [an old saying from my grandaddy], you could press a couple of keys on the keyboard to switch between typing French and English. This saved my bacon many many times, but it sure did confuse people who borrowed my computer every now and then.

These days with MS Windows being updated a zillion times since I first used it, and the Mac operating system being so fabulous, there are definitely easy ways to 'switch' between typing English and French ... if only you knew what they were.

How To Be Able To Type English on a French Keyboard

The first thing you need to do is add an English language keyboard module via the START menu - which anyone can do; you don't need to be a whizz kid or a technical guru to do this:

In Win XP, you can change the keyboard languages and layout

1* start your computer
2* click the Start button
3* choose Settings, Control Panel, and Regional and Language Options
4* click the "Languages" tab
5* click the "Details" button
6* add a language and give it properties - one of which is the US-International English keyboard
7* for Windows XP click Details
8* click Apply to finish the process; the Windows installation CD is not usually needed
9* for more help, view the keyboard and multi-language sections in Start - Help

Do you have Windows VISTA? Try these slightly different instructions when following the info above:

4* the "Languages" tab becomes "Keyboard and Languages" tab
5 * the "Details" button becomes "Change keyboards"
6* click the General Tab to reach the Add section

Continue to follow steps 7-9.

Now just because I've shown you HOW to change the keyboard from French to English in an internet cafe, doesn't mean the proprietor will be happy for you to do so. You should ask ... you really should, so I'll leave that up to you.

The standard keyboard in English speaking countries is known as the QWERTY keyboard. These are the first 6 letters, starting from the left, just below the numbers.

On a French keyboard, these same keys become AZERTY - where the A and the Z have been moved up.

The French keyboard already has the additional characters like the cedille included on keys, whereas on an QWERTY keyboard you need to press the Alt key [Windows PC] or the Control key [Mac] and then the special character - sometimes twice.

The bottom line is that yes, there are solutions to enable you to type English on a French keyboard without your emails looking like gobbledegook. If you can't 'add' the English layout as shown above, then you can certainly hunt and peck slowly to type your message.

And the best part? You'll be meeting others in those internet cafes who are having the same challenges, you'll be tasting new coffees and visiting interesting cafes, so ... where better to learn to type on a French keyboard, but in Paris?

Enjoy your trip! Post a comment on my website if you'd like to. I need to go for a walk along the Champs Elysees ... au revoir!

Teena Hughes is an Australian who has lived in Paris and loves all things French. Teena's friends roll their eyes when she speaks in a fake French accent like Pepe le Pew. Teena's website http://www.a-night-in-paris.com is a warm and entertaining place to visit, seen through the eyes of someone who loves Paris, rather than from an advertiser'

Chinese Internet cafes are coming up with some creative solutions for getting around the recently launched online game fatigue system. Internet cafe recently began a promotion that offers an adult game account to underage gamers if they purchase monthly prepaid game cards, reports China Business. Another Internet cafe is recommending gamers open at least three game accounts so that they can play for longer. China's online game fatigue system will start formal operation on July 16. The system attempts to limit underage gamers to three hours of gaming per day by eliminating rewards for playing.

"House of Cards Precedent be damned. That apparently is the approach Greece is taking to recent developments in EU case law covering the cross border provision of gambling services.

"Not to be dissuaded by recent European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings, Greece this week arrested nine people in conjunction with internet gambling operations run out of internet cafes in Arta.

"Three internet cafe owners, who had installed the gambling software of an unnamed UK bookmaker on the computers in the cafes, as well as six of their customers, were arrested in the raids. Maybe not coincidentally, the arrests followed an announcement by British bookmaker William Hill that it had filed for gaming licences in Greece and was planning to challenge the decisions in the ECJ if the Greek government refused to grant the licenses..."

Travis County sheriff's deputies confiscated computers from The Internet Cafe on Grand Avenue Parkway in Pflugerville on Thursday.

A sheriff's spokesman said the computers were running gambling software, and customers were paid via magnetic-strip cards.

Most people thought the shop was an Internet cafe, but instead of eight-liner machines, games were set up on computers.

This was not a case of online gambling.

Customers paid when they arrived and collected cash on the spot if they won.

The department called it Operation Royal Flush and said they plan to shut down more eight-liner shops.

"This was pretty elaborate," said Sheriff Greg Hamilton. "It was computers. Normally, the people have the big eight-liner machines, but they had computers in here."

Computers used software to play bingo, keno, scorching seven, blackjack and video poker, but did not allow online gambling.

"It's been affecting our business," said Best Liquor owner Elias Yohanis. "Everybody around here has been complaining about these people, because obviously it doesn't attract good people."

Yohanis said since the gambling house moved in, his business has dropped off.

Merchants spoke with the landlord about the problems, but nothing was done.

"We don't want this type of establishment around the area, it's just not good," Yohanis said. "It's affecting a lot of families, people losing a lot of money, these people getting rich on a daily basis."

Acting on a tip, undercover detectives gambled, and won, on multiple occasions.

They were familiar with owner Zorica Vilotic, who showed detectives how to use the illegal machines.

She was arrested and faces gambling charges.

Hamilton says he's not done.

"Individuals lose all their money, and cause family problems, and we're going to do everything possible to prevent that from happening in Travis County," said Hamilton.

Detectives were after Vilotic, so people gambling inside during the bust were not charged.

Still, police took down their names and said future charges would be considered.

ZOOX Stations and RMES Communications (RMES) have teamed up to bring the first Internet and PC game Cafe to Denver International Airport.

With a slick privacy booth enclosure, travelers can now go beyond just checking their email and surfing the Internet. The ZOOX Stations cafe also features 19 of the hottest PC game titles, available to play locally or online. While these are the same titles gamers are addicted to in their home XBox™ and PlayStation™ set-ups, the DIA equipment is guaranteed to blow even the most spoiled gamer away.

The cafes are an innovative upgrade to the present "Shibby" Internet equipment, which have been a mainstay to DIA travelers since 2002. While RMES (DIA Internet provider) recognizes the ongoing demand for high-speed Internet, they were also forward thinking in capitalizing on the huge popularity of on-line gaming as a way to pass the time while captive in the terminal. The 23" screen is bolstered with an exceptional graphics card, sound system, and high-speed performance that will take users from frustrated traveler to engrossed gamer in record time. With 19 titles ranging from sophisticated on-line games -- to simply addictive titles, there is something for everyone (ESRB ratings from Everyone to Teen). In addition, game title content can be continually upgraded to keep current with demanding market standards.

The interface guides users to one of two tiers of use -- High Speed Internet or PC gaming. Quick links to popular sites like MySpace, YouTube, and Google are one solid source of entertainment. The newer, gaming aspect adds a whole new entertainment option that far surpasses the $7.00 concourse burger.

The Internet and Game cafe is the creation of ZOOX Stations, a Louisville based division of KIOSK Information Systems, the largest manufacturer of self-serve terminals in the world. ZOOX Stations was incorporated in 2006 as a subsidiary dedicated to development of cutting edge new products in the pay-for-use environment. This cafe (branded as ZAZOOX outside the airport environment) has been a slam-dunk performer with over 400 units ordered and fielding in military bases, truck stops, and now airports. According to Rick Malone, President of KIOSK and ZOOX Stations, "The single ingredient needed to make this machine a gamer magnet is idle time. Our development team has included the highest caliber gaming technology and a full complement of industry leading title options that appeal to even the most sophisticated gamer. With RMES' attention to quality operation, we are extremely confident it will be a hit with DIA patrons."

The equipment is currently being installed in Concourses A, B, and C with additional equipment and main terminal services scheduled by July of 2007. Modestly priced at .25 / minute, users simply swipe their card to access a private, upscale, and innovative entertainment escape. Ask anyone trapped in the blizzard with their kids over Christmas -- it's cheap at twice the price.

THE President of the Internet Cafes Association of Davao (Icad) claimed that the Internet cafe industry in Davao City is affected with the implementation of P4 to P8 per hour rate offered by newly established Internet cafes.

In an interview Monday, Adolfo Solanor, Icad president, said this is one of the challenges the members of the association is facing, adding that there are indeed several Net cafes, which are Icad non-members, that offer a very low hourly rate.

Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007 Coverage

He said they are not looking at Icad non-members as a bad factor in the industry, saying the industry is already a free enterprise.

Solanor revealed that two years ago, the members and the non-members of the Icad had a meeting and came up with a resolution to offer a uniform hourly rate of P20 per hour.

The agreement, he said, was in accordance with the city ordinance.

"Unfortunately, it was abolished because of many reasons, not everybody followed it kaya naging kanya-kanya na ngayon," Solanor said.

"Dumami rin kasi ang Internet cafes, maraming nag-put up ng business kasi nga it is profitable, but later found out na hindi ganon kadali," he explained.

It was learned that as of last year, Icad has recorded a total of 81 members. There were over 400 Internet cafes existing in the city at present.

"Kung ang hinahabol ng internet cafe ay para dumami ang customer, I think P4 per hour is not even for break even. I do not know how is it and how long they will last, at kung ano'ng diskarte ang ginagawa nila," he said.

He asserted that the same problem was experienced by Internet cafe owners in Cebu. But the problem was addressed after membership to the association was made mandatory.

"Mahirap gawing mandatory ang membership dito kasi marami yang dadaanan," he said.

The labor ministry will conduct its first survey ever on the living conditions of day laborers with no fixed residence who stay at Internet cafes overnight, ministry officials said Thursday.

Experts say the customers, dubbed "Net cafe refugees," are becoming more visible in the 24-hour facilities in tandem with the rise in the number of "working poor," those who have jobs but cannot escape poverty. The issue has become a high-profile social problem despite public denials that the gap between rich and poor is growing.

"We need to grasp the reality before studying whether any assistance is necessary, and if so, what kind," said an official from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

The survey will begin within the fiscal year.

Some of the cafes provide individual cabins with computers and reclining chairs, as well as cheap meals. A customer can stay overnight for 1,000 yen to 2,000 yen, which is cheaper than capsule hotels.

Experts also say many young day workers end up at Net cafes because, for example, they cannot afford rent on their low salaries. In the past, such people stayed at flophouses.

The Japan Complex Cafe Association, a group of Internet cafe owners, estimates there are about 2,800 of the facilities nationwide.

A small city in northern Peru has taken a bold step in helping ensure the safety of its children by ordering internet cafes to prohibit children from using their services after 9pm.

The city of Huncabamba, located in the northern Peruvian department of Piura, officially passed the city ordnance and announced it in Peru's state run gazette, El Peruano (a requirement when new laws are enacted).

"The internet, while a helpful tool, has turned into a danger for our children. By using internet cafes, children can easily view pornographic websites without any restrictions," read the ordnance.

However, not all internet cafes, known as cabinas in Peru, will be affected by the new law since the ordnance allows children to use internet cafes which have been registered and supervised by Huncabamba city authorities.

These internet cafes must have specially designated areas for children where they are in plain sight of the establishment's administrator. They must also have clearly marked signs advising against visiting inappropriate websites, and special security filters must also be installed on all computers withing the cafe.

The city's internet cafe owners have 45 days to adhere to the new measures and outfit their businesses with the required equipment, otherwise they will have to turn children away after 9pm.

A small city in northern Peru has taken a bold step in helping ensure the safety of its children by ordering internet cafes to prohibit children from using their services after 9pm.

The city of Huncabamba, located in the northern Peruvian department of Piura, officially passed the city ordnance and announced it in Peru's state run gazette, El Peruano (a requirement when new laws are enacted).

"The internet, while a helpful tool, has turned into a danger for our children. By using internet cafes, children can easily view pornographic websites without any restrictions," read the ordnance.

However, not all internet cafes, known as cabinas in Peru, will be affected by the new law since the ordnance allows children to use internet cafes which have been registered and supervised by Huncabamba city authorities.

These internet cafes must have specially designated areas for children where they are in plain sight of the establishment's administrator. They must also have clearly marked signs advising against visiting inappropriate websites, and special security filters must also be installed on all computers withing the cafe.

The city's internet cafe owners have 45 days to adhere to the new measures and outfit their businesses with the required equipment, otherwise they will have to turn children away after 9pm.

The Chinese government is launching a new crackdown on online pornography, complaining it has "perverted China's young minds," a state news agency said Friday.

The Ministry of Public Security says the six-month campaign will target cyber strip shows and sexually explicit images, stories and audio and video clips, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

"The boom of pornographic content on the Internet has contaminated cyberspace and perverted China's young minds," Zhang Xinfeng, a deputy public security minister, was quoted as saying Thursday.

Also Friday, police announced that two Web site operators were sentenced to four years in prison and a third got one year for distributing pornographic movies and other materials in separate cases last year, the Xinhua agency reported.

One of the Web sites had signed up 260,000 users when its operator was arrested last year, Xinhua reported. In another case, it said, four people were arrested for distributing material online and 400 computers were seized.

Police also have broken up crime rings that used the Internet to organize prostitution, Xinhua said.

The latest campaign also will target illegal online lotteries and contraband trade, fraud and "content that spreads rumors and is of a slanderous nature," Zhang said at a news conference.

In China's biggest online porn case to date, Web site operator Chen Hui was sentenced in November to life in prison. The government said his Web site had more than 9 million pornographic images and more than 600,000 registered users.

China has the world's second-biggest population of Internet users after the United States, with 137 million people online.

The communist government encourages Internet use for education and business but tries to block access to material considered obscene or subversive.

"The inflow of pornographic materials from abroad and lax domestic control are to blame for the existing problems in China's cyberspace," Zhang said.

According to Xinhua, the Beijing Reformatory for Juvenile Delinquents said 33.5 percent of its detainees were influenced by violent online games or erotic Web sites when they committed crimes such as robbery and rape.