Süddeutsche Zeitung, 23.06.2006

Andrian Kreye has had a look at the workings of "Internet 2", a non-profit consortium for developing high-speed data transfer, at New York University. The consortium's members, mostly academics, should soon be able to work with speeds of 100 gigabits per second (Gbps), more than ten times that of the current network. "Along with the technology, the cultural landscape is going to change as well. Many media firms have acknowledged that newspapers, radio and the Internet can no longer operate efficiently in isolation, and they've started developing their core media to become multi-branch brands. Some reassuring onlookers see the move to Internet 2 as similar to the conversion of radio from short wave to VHF. The quality improved, pop music changed, but ultimately the repercussions were limited. The makers of the Internet film 'Google epic,' by contrast, prophesy a monopolisation of the Net through corporate groups like Amazon, and an end to traditional forms of culture, the private sphere and intellectual property."


Der Tagesspiegel, 23.06.2006

Philosopher Jürgen Habermas has delivered a speech in Dresden to the International Communication Association (ICA), and continued his until now only fragmentary reflections (more here) on the Internet, writes Dietmar Jazbinsek. "According to Habermas, online communication can only make a relevant contribution to political discourse if it deals with reporting in the established media. A positive example is the website bildblog.de (which reports critically on the Bild Zeitung - ed). The bildblog editors recently sent a bill for 2,088 euros to the online edition of the tabloid, for their unsolicited correction work. The theorist of communicative action really got a kick out of that gag."


Die Welt, 23.06.2006

G. Charles Rump writes on the art market, where huge amounts of money changed hands this week: "On Monday evening, Sotheby's had its most successful London auction ever, with Impressionists and Moderns. Gross sales totalled 88.7 million pounds, or roughly 133 million euros. A few days ago in Vienna, Gustav Klimt's 'Golden Adele' was sold by Christie's as a 'private treaty,' outside the auction houses, for 135 million dollars (more here)." For Rump, the art market boom "is connected to the slowdown on the stock market. 'Black Monday,' the crash on October 27, 1987, ushered in the best two years the art market had ever seen, and it now looks like the more the stock market slumps, the better the art market will do."


Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 23.06.2006

Angelika Timm reports that the Israeli homosexual and lesbian organisation Open House is preparing an international Gay Parade. "For years, Open House has been demanding that the second WorldPride – the first was in 2000 in Rome, despite vehement protests by the Vatican – take place in Jerusalem, 'one of the most important centres of Western and Middle Eastern civilisations.' In October 2003, it found the support of 150 delegates of the appropriate World forum and was not to be dissuaded by protests from Muslim, Christian or Jewish dignitaries."


Die Tageszeitung, 23.06.2006

Sabine Herre reports of the wine market reforms currently being discussed by the EU, aimed at giving European wine a fighting chance against cheaper American imports. Following the model of American industrial producers, the commission proposes that wines no longer be identified by their geographic origin but according to grape sort, enabling wines to be blended. On top of that, the addition of sugar to wine (which accelerates fermentation and increases alcohol content), is to be prohibited with the hope of lowering European's overall alcohol consumption and avoiding compensation payments currently being paid to countries where sugar is added. Herre shares the scepticism of slow food groups and Germany's viticulture association. "Because wine with little alcohol and mixed with otherwise useless must has to taste like something, Brüssel will be quick to readily approve new oenological procedures that the OIV, the international wine organisation, comes up with. In short, this means that the use of oak wood chips is the tip of the iceberg, other adulterations are on their way."