Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** New TLDs - Its All in the Tea Leaves by Robert Rozicki http://robrozicki.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/new-tlds-?-its-all-in-the-tea-leaves/ ICANN Board briefing materials: more cover pages than information http://kierenmccarthy.com/2010/08/17/icann-board-briefing-materials-more-cover-pages-than-information/ Casino.com plotting top-level domain bid? http://domainincite.com/casino-com-plotting-top-level-domain-bid/ Parked Network Solutions domains served up malware http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20013751-245.html Jeff Kupietzky?s 5 Myths of the Domain Name Industry http://domainnamewire.com/2010/08/18/jeff-kupietzkys-5-myths-of-the-domain-name-industry/ au/nz: Deadline approaches for internet awards [NZPA] http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/deadline-approaches-internet-awards-3715914 Top ccTLD Sales Continue to Grow At Non-.COM?s Expense http://www.ebrandservices.com/top-cctld-sales-continue-to-grow.html Choice Domain Names Pitched as Investments [IDG] http://www.pcworld.com/article/203572/.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Accountability and Transparency Review Team ? Independent Expert Case Studies The Accountability and Transparency Review Team (ATRT) announced the selection of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society (Berkman) as an Independent Expert to assist its review under the Affirmation of Commitments (AoC). http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-16aug10-en.htm FY11 Travel Support Guidelines Version 1 Now Posted Explanation: In April-May 2010, a public comment period was held for 30 days on the topic of community travel support to ICANN meetings. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-17aug10-en.htm New TLDs - Its All in the Tea Leaves by Robert Rozicki ... The last time I gathered a list of proposed TLDs was in December 2009. At that time there were 43 proposed New TLDs across 47 applicants. When I broke them down by category this is what we saw. 60% of applicants were Geographical in nature. These included applicants such as .london and .hamburg. Community applications such as .gay accounted for 21% and specialist TLDs such as .horse made up the remaining 20%. December was an interesting month. Many industry experts and commentators were still not convinced about the future of new TLDs and trademark issues looked to derail the whole process. http://robrozicki.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/new-tlds-%e2%80%93-its-all-in-the-tea-leaves/ ICANN Board briefing materials: more cover pages than information At its recent meeting in Brussels, the ICANN Board resolved that it would publish the briefing materials that are supplied to it in order to make decisions. http://kierenmccarthy.com/2010/08/17/icann-board-briefing-materials-more-cover-pages-than-information/ ICANN releases (censored) board briefing docs ICANN has given an unprecedented glimpse into the workings of its board of directors, with the release of hundreds of pages of staff briefing papers. http://domainincite.com/icann-releases-censored-board-briefing-docs/ New TLD ownership rules punted to ICANN board The ICANN board will be asked to untangle the policy mess that currently bans domain name registrars from applying for new top-level domains, after a GNSO working group failed to reach consensus. http://domainincite.com/new-tld-ownership-rules-punted-to-icann-board/ Openness and Transparency: ICANN Takes an Important Step in the Right Direction by Michael D. Palage Over the years I have been critical of ICANN's inability on several occasions to match its words on openness, transparency and accountability with its actions. Therefore, it was a very pleasant surprise to see ICANN post the Board briefing documents in connection with two of its last three Board meetings. http://www.circleid.com/posts/openness_and_transparency_icann_takes_an_important_step_in_the_right_direct/ Who voted against three Arabic ccTLDs and why? Two ICANN board members voted against the recent resolution to grant Arabic top-level domains to Palestine, Jordan and Tunisia, it has emerged. http://domainincite.com/who-voted-against-three-arabic-cctlds-and-why/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Africa domain attracts interest Even though ICANN has not yet issued the license that will allow for the creation of the .africa domain name registry, there seems to be a lot of interest at the pan-African level. http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=7C756947-1A64-6A71-CE373250A7BA4A5F Casino.com plotting top-level domain bid? Casino.com, in this frankly odd press release, seems to be dropping hints that it would be interested in applying for a new TLD when ICANN opens up the bids next year. http://domainincite.com/casino-com-plotting-top-level-domain-bid/ Casino.com Expresses Interest in gTLD Application Casino.com, an online gambling site, seems to be interested in applying for its own generic Top Level Domain assuming ICANN approves gTLDs and begins accepting applications. http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/08/17/casinocom-expresses-interest-in-gtld-application/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/casino.com-expresses-interest-in-new-gtld-application.html Will Pornography Rule Private Domains or Will Online Gaming Get its Own Domain as Well? [news release] ICANN has recently granted the pornography industry with a domain dedicated solely to pornographic sites. Analysts are wondering if the same thing will happen in the online gambling industry as well. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/will-pornography-rule-private-domains-or-will-online-gaming-get-its-own-domain-as-well-100746384.html http://www.itnewsonline.com/showprnstory.php?storyid=114486 VeriSign plans single-letter .com auctions VeriSign has confirmed that it wants to auction off single-character .com domain names, following a test with the equivalent .net domains. http://domainincite.com/verisign-plans-single-letter-com-auctions/ Dissecting a Scareware-Serving Black Hat SEO Campaign Using Compromised .NL/.CH Sites Over the past week, I've been tracking -- among the countless number of campaigns currently in process of getting profiled/taken care of internally -- a blackhat SEO campaign that's persistently compromising legitimate sites within small ISPs in the Netherlands and Switzerland, for scareware-serving purposes. http://ddanchev.blogspot.com/2010/08/dissecting-scareware-serving-black-hat.html Dot-Jobs Draws Worry; Site Operators Fear Domain Expansion Will Crowd Market Job-site operators are bracing for an influx of competitors as the dot-jobs domain widens its reach. So far limited to only employers' names, as in Disney.jobs or Whirlpool.jobs, the dot-jobs Internet domain will begin accepting applications next month for generic names like hospitality.jobs and virginia.jobs. But the mostly small businesses that run job sites ending in dot-com say they worry how the development will affect their already crowded and distressed sector of the economy. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703649004575437422759483444.html .ORG, The Public Interest Registry Releases Results Of Bi-Annual Domain Name Report, "The Dashboard" .ORG, The Public Interest Registry today released the results of its bi-annual domain name report, ?The Dashboard,? detailing the continued unparalleled growth of the world?s third largest generic Top Level Domain (gTLD). In the first six months of 2010, the .ORG domain grew by 7.6 percent?more than doubling last year?s first half gain of 3.2 percent. This increase in registrations has brought .ORG?s total domains under management to an astounding 8.5 million. http://pir.org/news/pr/2010/1hdashboard Company Wants Trademark for .Secure A Wisconsin company has filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to get the service mark ?.secure?. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/08/17/company-wants-trademark-for-secure/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Sweden scores highest in ccTLD brand strength Sweden's country code top-level domain (ccTLD) .se has the highest local value in terms of top-level domain awareness, relevance and preference in Europe, according to a study by the organisation that administers the European top-level .eu domain, EURid. http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=751658 The sheriffs of the wild web The internet has its very own magnificent seven. They are a group of security experts across the globe who can reboot cyberspace if it comes under attack. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/the-sheriffs-of-the-wild-web-2055155.html Beneath the flag was a line of Persian poetry which read: "We shall strike if the leader orders, we shall lose our heads if the leader wishes." As many as five million Web sites hosted by Network Solutions have been serving up malware, probably for several months, a security expert said today. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9180783/Malicious_widget_hacked_millions_of_Web_sites Millions of Network Solutions Parked Pages Were Serving Malware Armorize, a web security company, reported on their blog today that Network Solutions had been displaying a widget box that contains malware. The company was notified and quickly remedied the parking pags. Based on a yahoo search only, there are over 5 million domain names with NSI parked landers that may have been affected by this drive by malware. http://www.domainnamenews.com/registrars/millions-network-solutions-parked-pages-serving-malware/7906 Parked Network Solutions domains served up malware Some parked domains from Network Solutions that display "page under construction" messages were found to be serving up malware from a widget that was later disabled over the weekend, a security researcher told CNET on Monday. http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20013751-245.html http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-threats/2010/08/17/malicious-widget-attacks-compromise-parked-domains-40089836/ Network Solutions pulls widget that tainted up to 5m websites Network Solutions has admitted that a software widget designed to help small business to build websites was contaminated with malware. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/17/net_sol_tainted_widget/ Who will save the world when the web goes down? On a Thursday evening in December a remarkable attack by a shadowy group of hackers briefly paralysed Twitter. For two hours anyone who typed www.twitter.com into their Internet Explorer's address bar was re-routed to a simple black screen showing a green flag and the words: "This site has been hacked by the Iranian Cyber Army." http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10667037 ke: One of our own now holds the key to the internet Who is Moussa Guebre? This question occupied many internet analysts a few weeks ago. Mr Guebre joins a group of seven men who have literally been given a key to the internet. http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/One of our own now holds the key to the internet/-/539444/980392/-/x7c3jc/-/ http://allafrica.com/stories/201008180971.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Website operators use new defenses to fight R-J copyright suits New defenses are being asserted by websites and bloggers facing copyright infringement lawsuits for online postings of material from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The Review-Journal's copyright enforcement partner, Las Vegas company Righthaven LLC, has sued 98 North American websites and blogsites in federal court in Las Vegas since March -- typically demanding $75,000 in damages and forfeiture of the defendants' website domain names. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/aug/18/website-operators-use-new-defenses-fight-r-j-copyr/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Jeff Kupietzky?s 5 Myths of the Domain Name Industry Today at DOMAINfest in New York, Oversee.net CEO Jeff Kupietzky tried to dispel 5 myths about the domain name industry. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/08/18/jeff-kupietzkys-5-myths-of-the-domain-name-industry/ Simplifying The Lives Of Web Users I?m about to make your life better. No need to thank me. But first, a warning: On the way to understanding how your life will get better, you?ll have to read about some technical, fairly arcane topics. Trust me: it?ll be worth it. In this case, the topic is your Web browsing, and the magic wand is a free service called OpenDNS. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/technology/personaltech/19pogue.html Go Daddy Marches Toward $1 Billion Domain name registrar will get close to $1 billion in cash flow this year. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/08/17/go-daddy-marches-toward-1-billion/ au/nz: Deadline approaches for internet awards [NZPA] The deadline is fast approaching for the second Australia and New Zealand internet best practice awards. http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/deadline-approaches-internet-awards-3715914 ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Top ccTLD Sales Continue to Grow At Non-.COM?s Expense Sales of ccTLD names continue to grow at the expense of non.COM gTLDs an analysis of the top reported domain name sales from 2007 to mid-2010 has shown. Using Domain Name Journal?s lists of top reported sales for the period to 30 June 2010, sales of ccTLDs have increased from 6.9 per cent of the top 100 sales (sales can total more than 100 due to ties for 100th position) in 2007 to 19 per cent in 2009, while dipping to 15.9 per cent in the first six months of 2010. http://www.ebrandservices.com/top-cctld-sales-continue-to-grow.html Moniker Brokers Sale of 5 T-Shirts For $1.265m Moniker.com announced they have successfully brokered the sale of five t-shirt-related .COM domain names for $1.265 million. http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/08/18/moniker-brokers-sale-of-5-t-shirts-for-1265m/ Choice Domain Names Pitched as Investments [IDG] Forget real estate, the stock market or Internet startups, the new way to make fast money is to invest in domain names, argues a domain name brokerage that will auction off a passel of domain names on Wednesday in New York. http://www.pcworld.com/article/203572/.html http://www.cio.com/article/603700/Choice_Domain_Names_Pitched_As_Investments http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/357462/choice_domain_names_pitched_investments/ http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9180878/Choice_domain_names_pitched_as_investments DomainFest NYC 2010 Live Auction Results We will be were live blogging the auction results of the auctions at the DomainFEST Power Networking Day in New York City. As always we do not guarantee the accuracy of these results. Unsold names will be included in the Extended Silent Auction which will run for the next 7 days until August 25, 2010, Wed at 3:15pm ET (12:15pm PT). http://www.domainnamenews.com/domain-auction/domainfest-nyc-2010-live-auction-results/7918 DOMAINfest NYC Wrap Up DOMAINfest?s Power Networking day in New York City attracted more than 200 people for the all-day event. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/08/18/domainfest-nyc-wrap-up/ Official Tally From DomainFest Today: $537K Moniker?s live auction at DomainFest New York concluded today with an official tally of $537K in Domain names sold. http://www.thedomains.com/2010/08/18/corrected-official-tally-from-domainfest-today-537k/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Five billionth device about to plug into Internet Sometime this month, the 5 billionth device will plug into the Internet. And in 10 years, that number will grow by more than a factor of four, according to IMS Research, which tracks the installed base of equipment that can access the Internet. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/081610-5billion-devices-internet.html Is the Web Dying? It Doesn?t Look That Way Is the Web dead? Chris Anderson, Wired magazine?s editor in chief, says the Web is being crippled by a world of apps and screens in a cover story titled ?The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet.? http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/the-growth-of-the-dying-web/ Britons spend half waking hours using TV, mobiles Britons spend almost half of their waking hours watching TV and using their mobiles or other communication devices but are paying less to do so, media watchdog Ofcom said on Wednesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE67H5V020100818 http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-50928620100818 Multitask Britons text, view and chat Social networks and increasingly sophisticated mobile phones have made the UK a nation of media multitaskers, new research shows. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b8145ec4-ab10-11df-9e6b-00144feabdc0.html TV, phones and internet take up almost half our waking hours [news release] Montage of communicatiuons usesUK consumers are spending almost half (45 per cent) of their waking hours watching TV, using their mobiles and other communications devices, new Ofcom research reveals today. http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2010/08/tv-phones-and-internet-take-up-almost-half-our-waking-hours/ Less Web Access Among Chronically Ill Although the number of ?cyberchondriacs? ? people who research health information online ? is at an all-time high, those who are afflicted with chronic conditions are less likely to have Internet access, according to data from Pew. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/technology/16drill.html Internet at home goes hand-in-hand with romance: study [AFP] Dim the lights, turn on the schmoozy music, and log on. Adults who have Internet access at home are more likely to be in romantic relationships than adults who don't, a study presented Monday found. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/internet-at-home-goes-handinhand-with-romance-study-2054689.html Google chief: My fears for Generation Facebook Eric Schmidt, the chief executive of Google, has issued a stark warning over the amount of personal data people leave on the internet and suggested that many of them will be forced one day to change their names in order to escape their cyber past. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-chief-my-fears-for-generation-facebook-2055390.html Google boss Eric Schmidt warns on social use of media Young people may one day have to change their names in order to escape their previous online activity, Google boss Eric Schmidt has warned. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11009700 Google chief warns on social networking dangers Eric Schmidt, the chief executive of search Google, has predicted that web users will one day be able to change their identity in order to escape the traces of their misspent youth available on social networking sites such as Facebook. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/18/google-facebook Google says: Change your name Google's chief has put forth a novel solution for today's teenagers whose wild online antics threaten to follow them into their adult life: change your name. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/google-on-privacy-change-your-name-20100817-127xj.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4032820/Google-says-Change-your-name http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/google-on-privacy-change-your-name-20100817-127xj.html Rocker John Mellencamp likens Internet to A-bomb Rocker John Mellencamp said on Tuesday that the Internet was the most dangerous invention since the atomic bomb, although new technology could paradoxically delay the inevitable demise of rock 'n' roll. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE67H0RW20100818 http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/19/2987207.htm Obsessed Internet gamers in South Korea now have a league of their own One Saturday this month, roughly 10,000 South Koreans interrupted their usual weekend activity of playing Internet games for something else: to watch professionals play Internet games. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/16/AR2010081602506.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Facebook 'dislike' scam warning Facebook users are being targeted in a scam that offers them a chance to install a "dislike" button. The scam tricks users into allowing a rogue application to access their profile page, which then posts spam messages. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10987725 Facebook users warned over 'dislike' scam Facebook members were warned today of a rogue "dislike" feature luring users into giving away personal information to scammers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/16/facebook-dislike-scam-warning Facebook 'dislike' button scam spreads virally [CSO] The latest viral scam making its way around Facebook is a lure that asks users if they want to install a "dislike" button, says the security firm Sophos. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9180769/Facebook_dislike_button_scam_spreads_virally Facebook Places location tool unveiled, sparking fresh privacy concerns Facebook risks a privacy backlash today when it launches a feature that automatically shares information on the location of users with their online friends. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/19/facebook-places-location-tool-unveiled Facebook Unveils a Service to Announce Where Users Are Facebook introduced a long-anticipated service called Places on Wednesday that could help the company tap local and small-business advertisers and sharpen its competition with Google. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/technology/19facebook.html Facebook Checks In to the World of Locations The 800-pound gorilla of social networks, Facebook, is jumping into the location game. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703649004575437533304450888.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703649004575437533304450888.html?mod=WSJ_Tech_RIGHTTopCarousel_1 Facebook to let users track friends, services Facebook's 500 million-plus users will soon be able to track friends' whereabouts, as the world's largest Internet social network adds technology to increasingly tie its virtual world to everyday life. http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-50930620100819 North Korea Takes to Twitter and YouTube North Korea has taken its propaganda war against South Korea and the United States to a new frontier: YouTube and Twitter. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/world/asia/17north.html North Korea makes Twitter debut While North Korea was last month threatening to deal out "the severest punishment no one has ever met in the world" to its southern neighbour, the country's government was also quietly opening up a new front in the propaganda war ? an official Twitter account. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/16/north-korea-twitter ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Outdoors and Out of Reach, Studying the Brain ... It was a primitive trip with a sophisticated goal: to understand how heavy use of digital devices and other technology changes how we think and behave, and how a retreat into nature might reverse those effects. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/technology/16brain.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Germany faces obstacles in its bid to lead the global fight against Internet child pornography Germany sees itself in the forefront of the fight against Internet child porn - a battle critics say it's losing due to international law discrepancies and its own protection laws. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5920995,00.html au: Greens side with Coalition on internet filtering policy Labor's hopes of getting its internet filter plan through federal parliament look destined to fail, with the Australian Greens calling for a PC-based approach. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/greens-side-with-coalition-on-internet-filtering-policy-20100816-1267o.html au: Ratings review may alter net filter: Conroy Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has conceded that a Classification Board review could "substantially" change the proposed mandatory internet filter. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/17/2985789.htm Refused classification could prove death knell for Labor filter The Classification Board?s review of refused classification (RC) material could signal the death of the Labor party?s proposed mandatory ISP-level internet filter, pending its results next year. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/357389/refused_classification_could_prove_death_knell_labor_filter/ Parliament decides if filter is dead: Conroy An undefeated Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has refused to declare the government's mandatory internet filter policy dead in the water. http://www.zdnet.com.au/parliament-decides-if-filter-is-dead-conroy-339305289.htm Fears smartphone game apps could get the chop in Australia The games industry has slammed federal government moves to censor mobile game apps, with developers saying they will stop selling their apps to Australians due to the prohibitive costs. http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/smartphone-apps/fears-smartphone-game-apps-could-get-the-chop-in-australia-20100817-128cr.html uk: Anti-bullying charity to close unless new funding found An anti-bullying charity which specialises in helping victims of online abuse says it will close unless it finds ?50,000 over the next two weeks. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/antibullying-charity-to-close-unless-new-funding-found-2054814.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Google TV plan is causing jitters in Hollywood Many worry that Silicon Valley will upend the entertainment industry just like the Internet ravaged the music and newspaper industries. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-googletv-20100818,0,785196.story Google TV Is a Tough Sell Among Would-Be Partners Google Inc. is launching a campaign to line up TV networks' support for its new Google TV software, but many remain reluctant to partner with a service they believe encroaches on their turf. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703824304575435791128775412.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703824304575435791128775412.html?mod=WSJASIA_hpp_MIDDLESecondNews How Google TV will make money still up in the air Google made a big splash in May announcing its entrance to the TV business, but how the company plans to make money for Google TV and for its content partners is still a bit muddled. http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20014069-260.html http://www.zdnetasia.com/how-google-tv-will-make-money-still-up-in-the-air-62202174.htm ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** RIM Offered Security Fixes: In India Talks, BlackBerry Maker Said It Could Share Metadata, Notes Show Research In Motion Ltd. has offered information and tools to help India conduct surveillance of wireless email and messaging services on RIM's popular BlackBerry, say people familiar with the negotiations, illuminating RIM's dealings as it seeks to balance sovereign security concerns with its customers' privacy. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703960004575427312899373090.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703960004575427312899373090.html?mod=WSJASIA_hpp_sections_india India sets Blackberry monitoring deadline India has sent formal notices to the country's mobile operators telling them they must have equipment to monitor Blackberry services by 31 August. The move will increase pressure on Blackberry maker Research in Motion (RIM) to allow Indian security agencies access to encrypted messages. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10998549 BlackBerry access deal 'ready' in India BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion will allow Indian authorities partial access to its Messenger chat services to placate security fears, a senior government source has told the Reuters news agency. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/17/blackberry-access-india India May Soon Resolve BlackBerry Dispute Indian officials and Research In Motion, the maker of popular BlackBerry devices, appear to be making progress toward resolving a battle over the government?s ability to monitor encrypted e-mail and instant messages. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/business/global/18rim.html India to reprieve some BlackBerry services - source India will allow BlackBerry's messenger service to continue beyond an August 31 deadline, but could shut down its secure email service if access is not given to its encrypted data by then, a senior government source said. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE67G3UU20100817 'I wrote 2U B4'! British Library shows up textspeak as soooo 19th century If u really r annoyed by the vocabulary of the text generation, then a new exhibition at the British Library should calm you down. It turns out they were doing it in the 19th century ? only then they called it emblematic poetry, and it was considered terribly clever. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/aug/18/british-library-textspeak-exhibition uk: Nine arrested over iPhone scam that made millions Police have moved to shut down a criminal network suspected of running a complex global scam which made millions of pounds from UK mobile phone networks using stolen iPhones and premium-rate phone lines. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/18/iphone-scam-premium-lines ********************** SPAM ********************** au: Explosion of mobile phone spam Nuisance SMS texts are of growing concern for the industry's watchdog, which says you can act. http://www.smh.com.au/money/planning/explosion-of-phone-spam-20100818-129ee.html http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/explosion-of-phone-spam-20100818-12f0q.html http://www.theage.com.au/money/planning/explosion-of-phone-spam-20100818-129ee.html http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/explosion-of-phone-spam-20100818-12f0q.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/money/planning/explosion-of-phone-spam-20100818-129ee.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/explosion-of-phone-spam-20100818-12f0q.html http://www.businessday.com.au/money/planning/explosion-of-phone-spam-20100818-129ee.html http://www.watoday.com.au/money/planning/explosion-of-phone-spam-20100818-129ee.html http://www.watoday.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/explosion-of-phone-spam-20100818-12f0q.html New SMS mobile rules to stop rogue operators [news release] Consumers will not be billed for premium SMS and MMS from suspect mobile premium service providers under new rules introduced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_312240 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** New victim in India-Pakistan 'cyberwar' [AFP] The "cyberwar" between India and Pakistan has claimed another victim, with the hacking of a high-profile lawmaker's website that experts say highlights the woeful lack of Internet security in South Asia. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/new-victim-in-indiapakistan-cyberwar-20100817-1280m.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/new-victim-in-indiapakistan-cyberwar-20100817-1280m.html Britons at risk of identity fraud through careless use of passwords on internet More than half of Britons admit making their online passwords easily available on the internet and never change their details unless prompted to do so, research indicates. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/7946481/Britons-at-risk-of-identity-fraud-through-careless-use-of-passwords-on-internet.html us: NYC woman to Google: Who's posting trash about me? [AP] A business consultant wants a court to force YouTube and owner Google to unmask a cyber cipher who posted what she says are unauthorized videos of her and online comments that hurt her reputation. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/17/AR2010081705523.html Businesswoman takes Google to court over YouTube 'whore' slur A business consultant is taking Google to court in an attempt to force them to unmask an anonymous internet user who posted videos of her on YouTube which "called into question her chastity". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/7952540/Businesswoman-takes-Google-to-court-over-YouTube-whore-slur.html Brainy ex-model Carla Franklin suing Google to expose cyberbully who called her 'whore' on YouTube A brainy beauty wants to expose the creep who slimed her as a "whore" on YouTube. http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/08/18/2010-08-18_wants_google_to_give_up_the_goods_woman_sues_to_id_youtube_slur_author.html Researcher Cracks ReCAPTCHA Homegrown algorithms for cheating Google's reCAPTCHA released earlier this month http://www.darkreading.com/authentication/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=226700514 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Google Sued in Spain Over Data Collecting A judge in Spain opened an investigation into whether Google unlawfully collected data from unsecured wireless networks while gathering photographs for Google?s photo-mapping service Street View. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/technology/18google.html Spain takes on Google over privacy violations in Street View Spain has became the latest country to take on internet search giant Google over alleged privacy violations made during mapping for its ?Street View? feature. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/7950503/Spain-takes-on-Google-over-privacy-violations-in-Street-View.html Privacy Panic Focuses on Wrong Issues by Larry Magid Lately I've gotten a sense that lots of Internet users are suffering from "privacy panic," not unlike the "predator panic" that plagued the Internet a few years ago when lots of people falsely believed that children faced a grave risk of being sexually abused by Internet predators. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-magid/privacy-panic-focuses-on_b_685509.html UK minister hints that libel reform will create privacy law A justice minister has said that there is "consensus" that a privacy law is needed, though he stopped short of committing the Government to introducing one. A fellow senior Liberal Democrat said Parliament needed to "get hold" of privacy law. http://out-law.com/page-11316 ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Thai Groups Denounce Website Censorship; Government Blocks Thousands of Pages Following Clashes Criticism over Thailand's efforts to curb political debate online is mounting as the government restricts thousands of websites following deadly protest clashes earlier this year. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703824304575435170175485654.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703824304575435170175485654.html?mod=WSJASIA_hpp_MIDDLETopNews Malaysians use social media to bypass censorship [AFP] Malaysia bumps along the bottom of international rankings for press freedom, but the explosion of social media like Twitter and Facebook is revolutionising how journalists work. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/malaysians-use-social-media-to-bypass-censorship-20100819-12fdm.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/malaysians-use-social-media-to-bypass-censorship-20100819-12fdm.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Internet Challenges Overwhelm German Government Google has been talking about introducing its Street View service in Germany for years. But now that the launch has officially been announced, the German government appears to have been taken by surprise. It's just another example of how the authorities are struggling to meet the challenges of the Internet age. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,712106,00.html Setting Hurdles for Google and Others: 'Germans Like to Look, But Not to Be Looked At' Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is responding to pressure against Internet giant Google over its controversial Street View service. A summit is being planned for September between politicians and Internet companies. But critics ask why the government is now scrambling to address the issue when it has known of Google's plans for at least two years. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,712485,00.html nz: File-sharing bill could extend surveillance culture - Bott Civil liberties lawyer Michael Bott thinks the crack opened in access to personal computer activities by the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Bill might be the first of several consensual arrangements between ISPs and agents of law enforcement to allow access to such data at the ISP level without the subject being aware a search has been conducted. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/file-sharing-bill-could-extend-surveillance-culture-bott Four Democrats urge U.S. to act on Internet traffic Four Democrats on a U.S. congressional panel called on regulators on Monday to press ahead with their own Internet traffic rules instead of relying on a proposal from two communications companies. http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-50878820100816 us: House Democrats oppose Net neutrality deal [IDG] Four Democrat members of the U.S. House of Representatives will oppose a network neutrality proposal offered by Google and Verizon Communications last week. The lawmakers say the two companies shouldn't set the rules for how U.S. residents access the Internet. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9180786/House_Democrats_oppose_Net_neutrality_deal US bill seeks to make electronics accessible to blind, deaf Blind and deaf consumers, who have fought to make home phones and television more accessible, say they are being left behind on the Web and many mobile devices. Touch-based smartphone screens confound blind people who rely on buttons and raised type. Web video means little to the deaf without captioning. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/16/AR2010081602756.html ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Microsoft invests in Kiwi tech education The University of Canterbury and Microsoft New Zealand have unveiled a ?public-private? partnership that will see the formation of a world-class education centre of excellence in the region. http://www.techday.co.nz/itbrief/news/microsoft-invests-in-kiwi-tech-education/17348/5/ Nonprofits Review Technology Failures At a gathering last month over drinks and finger food, a specialist at the World Bank related the story of how female weavers in a remote Amazonian region of Guyana had against all odds built themselves a thriving global online business selling intricately woven hammocks for $1,000 apiece. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/technology/17fail.html Cloud uptake grows in Asia-Pacific Cloud computing momentum has accelerated across the region, especially in Southeast Asia where more businesses are carrying out deployment plans this year, according to findings of a new study. http://www.zdnetasia.com/cloud-uptake-grows-in-asia-pacific-62202131.htm uk: Stephen Glover: Why is this injunction in the public interest? A new case confirms that a judge-made privacy law, largely developed by Mr Justice Eady, has transformed the way in which the tabloids in general and the News of the World in particular operate. Last Thursday The Daily Telegraph reported that Colin Montgomerie, the golfer, who is Europe's captain during this autumn's Ryder Cup in the United States, had used an injunction to prevent the publication of a story about his private life. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/opinion/stephen-glover/stephen-glover-why-is-this-injunction-in-the-public-interest-2053557.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** au: Tony the Tower: Abbott's 'technical ignorance on a national scale' on wireless and broadband Experts have again ridiculed Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's sheer lack of knowledge surrounding broadband and labelled the Coalition's policy "technical ignorance on a national scale". http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/tony-the-tower-abbotts--technical-ignorance-on-a-national-scale-on-wireless-and-broadband-20100817-127re.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/tony-the-tower-abbotts--technical-ignorance-on-a-national-scale-on-wireless-and-broadband-20100817-127re.html Internet to slow down unless more undersea cables are laid As the internet rapidly expands with ever more videos, web pages and posts, more ocean-spanning cable lines will be needed to string together this essential global computer network. http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2010/0816/Internet-to-slow-down-unless-more-undersea-cables-are-laid What if ISPs had to advertise minimum speeds? In Hungary, they do The Federal Communications Commission reported this week that broadband users see about half the advertised "up to" speeds promised by Internet providers, and similar findings were made earlier this year in the UK. (Keep in mind that some speed problems are outside the control of the ISP, including poor indoor wiring, bad WiFi setups, outdated computer hardware, and Internet congestion.) http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/08/the-federal-communications-commission-reported.ars ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** au: Online predator charged under new law POLICE have charged a 33-year-old man from NSW with predatory online sexual activity towards a minor. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/online-predator-charged-under-new-law/story-fn59niix-1225906078157 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2010 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au web: http://davidgoldstein.tel/ http://goldsteinreport.com/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim FlanneryReceived on Wed Aug 18 2010 - 21:22:35 UTC
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