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.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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DNS Security Survey Results for National Computer Security Incident Response 
Teams
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-23dec10-en.htm

Accountability and Transparency Review Team (ATRT): Final Recommendations
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-31dec10-en.htm

Concern at governments? moves to control web
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3cb52054-12aa-11e0-b4c8-00144feabdc0.html

Government Control of the Web Increases, Including Delaying New gTLDs: FT
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13265

ICANN and governments to meet in Geneva in February
http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/353-ICANN-and-governments-to-meet-in-Geneva-in-February.html


North Korea moves to bring KP top-level domain back online [IDG]
http://www.itworld.com/internet/132273/north-korea-moves-bring-kp-top-level-domain-back-online


uk: Lesley Cowley awarded OBE in Queen's New Year's Honours List
http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=8089

Opinion: Cyberteeth Bared by Ian Bremmer & Parag Khanna
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/opinion/23iht-edbremmer23.html

DDoS attacks threaten free speech, says report
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9202138/DDoS_attacks_threaten_free_speech_says_report


Germany Plans a New Cyber Defense Agency
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,736842,00.html

Hackers make a mockery of government security
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/hackers-make-a-mockery-of-government-security/story-e6frg6n6-1225980696826


au: National Broadband Network at risk from spies and hackers
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/national-broadband-network-at-risk-from-spies-and-hackers/story-fn59niix-1225981280336


Wow ? Cricket.com Hit with UDRP
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/12/30/wow-cricket-com-hit-with-udrp/

Groupon to enter Australia as daily deals sites explode
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/groupon-to-enter-australia-as-daily-deals-sites-explode-20101229-199ot.html

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/groupon-to-enter-australia-as-daily-deals-sites-explode-20101229-199ot.html


au: Screwfix Direct Limited v. Brian Perry
http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=DAU2010-0019

Go Daddy passes 45 million domains milestone
http://domainincite.com/go-daddy-passes-45-million-domain-milestone/


**********************
GOVERNANCE
**********************
China, TLD censorship top topics in 2010 by Milton Mueller
Judging from IGP blog's readership, which grew by about 25% compared to last 
year, the most interesting and important topics we covered were China's impact 
on Internet governance and the nexus between internet censorship and new 
Top-Level Domains. Wikileaks was third, with ICANN accountability rounding out 
the top of the pack. Individual posts on COICA, the Bredolab botnet prosecution, 
vertical integration and the move away from multistakeholderism at IGF also 
found their way into IGP's most popular blog posts (see below for a list of the 
top 15).
http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/12/31/4716342.html

**********************
DOMAIN NAMES
**********************
**********************
 - ICANN
**********************
DNS Security Survey Results for National Computer Security Incident Response 
Teams
ICANN is today releasing the results of a survey on DNS security response 
operations for national computer security incident response teams.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-23dec10-en.htm

Accountability and Transparency Review Team (ATRT): Final Recommendations
As prescribed by the Affirmation of Commitments, the Accountability and 
Transparency Review Team (ATRT) now issues its final recommendations for public 
comment.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-31dec10-en.htm

Letter from Kurt Pritz, ICANN, to Jeff Neuman, Neustar
Board Resolution on Registry-Registrar Cross-Ownership
http://icann.org/en/correspondence/pritz-to-neuman-22dec10-en.pdf

Concern at governments? moves to control web
WikiLeaks? seemingly unstoppable stream of disclosures has intensified efforts 
by governments to exert more control over information and the complex technology 
underpinning its availability on the internet. From the UN to the self-governing 
body overseeing web addresses, countries are working to assert more authority, 
with some success. ... Official US complaints helped to delay the ex-pected 
debut of many more web address endings such as .com and .net, known as top-level 
domains. ICANN, the non-profit organisation that oversees the domain name 
process, had been expected to approve a plan allowing the sale of names ending 
in .hotel, .vacation and variants.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3cb52054-12aa-11e0-b4c8-00144feabdc0.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3cb52054-12aa-11e0-b4c8-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=9a36c1aa-3016-11da-ba9f-00000e2511c8.html


Government Control of the Web Increases, Including Delaying New gTLDs: FT
Government control of the internet is a seemingly never-ending battle between 
government and its supporters on the one hand, usually when it suits the 
supporters in their battle of choice, and opponents on the other.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13265
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/12/30/government-control-of-the-web-increases-including-delaying-new-gtlds-ft/

http://domainnews.com/en/control-of-web-by-government-increases-including-delaying-new-gtlds-ft.html


Islamic Supremacists Envision a Takeover of the Internet
It was hardly noticed at the time, but its consequences could be catastrophic. 
Late last September, ICANN, which assigns internet domain names, approved a huge 
change in the way it operates. Europe and North America will now have five seats 
on its Board of Directors, instead of ten, and a new "Arab States" region will 
have five seats as well. How big a deal is this? ICANN at the same time took a 
reference to "terrorism" out of its Draft Applicant Guidebook. Why? Because Arab 
groups complained. And so now jihad terror websites can grow and prosper, as 
ICANN has removed its own ability to police them.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/12/islamic_supremacists_target_a.html

Request for Proposals for consulting services: Independent review of the ICANN 
Address Supporting Organization
... Objectives, timeline and estimated efforts: 1. The review is designed to 
determine: (i) an assessment of the performance of the ASO in accordance with 
its constituent documents; and (ii) whether any change in its structure or 
operations is desirable to improve its effectiveness (including the question of 
whether the ASO has a continuing purpose within ICANN). Please refer to the 
Section 2 below for the full ToR.
http://nro.net/documents/nro53.html

California Law Is No Impediment to Holding ICANN Accountable by Shawn Gunnarson
No other issue unites the Internet community quite like ICANN?s accountability 
deficit. Governments, contracted parties, commercial interests, NGOs, and 
ordinary Internet users?all have expressed their shared frustration that ICANN 
continues to evade real accountability.
http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/12/20/4707667.html

ICANN and governments to meet in Geneva in February
The ICANN Board and the GAC have apparently set a date for their joint meeting 
early next year. GAC representatives have been told to plan for a 2-day meeting 
to be held in Geneva on February 28 and March 1.
http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/353-ICANN-and-governments-to-meet-in-Geneva-in-February.html


ICANN Board Meeting With GAC Dates Announced
The meeting between the ICANN board and Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) 
has been set for 28 February and 1 March, reports Stephane Van Gelder on his 
blog.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13249
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/12/27/icann-gac-dates-announced/
http://domainnews.com/en/icann-board-meeting-with-gac-dates-announced.html

ICANN sets date for GAC showdown
ICANN and its Governmental Advisory Committee will meet for two days of talks on 
the new top-level domains program in Geneva from February 28, according to GNSO 
chair Stephane Van Gelder.
http://domainincite.com/icann-sets-date-for-gac-showdown/

ICANN given 27 New Year?s resolutions
There?s a pretty big shake-up coming to ICANN in 2011, following the publication 
late last week of a report outlining 27 ways it should reform its power 
structures.
http://domainincite.com/icann-given-27-new-years-resolutions/

ICANN Ombudsman loses ?air rage? appeal
Outgoing ICANN Ombudsman Frank Fowlie has lost an appeal with Canadian air 
regulators over his bust-up with a steward on a first-class flight in 2009.
http://domainincite.com/icann-ombudsman-loses-air-rage-appeal/

**********************
 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
**********************
The Juan Diego Calle Story: How the .CO CEO is Turning a Seldom Used ccTLD Into 
a Booming Global Brand 

By now everyone in the domain industry is aware of the big splash the .CO 
extension has made since the Colombian ccTLD was re-launched and made available 
for worldwide registration in the summer of 2010. Just five months after .CO 
began accepting general public registrations, more than 600,000 .CO domains had 
already been registered.
http://dnjournal.com/cover/2010/november-december.htm

CZ.NIC to change prices of .CZ domains
The CZ.NIC association, administrator of the Czech top-level domain, will 
decrease the annual registration fee for holding a .CZ domain as of 1 February 
2011. The wholesale price for domain registration will drop from the current CZK 
155 excl. VAT to CZK 140 excl. VAT.
http://www.nic.cz/page/834/cz.nic-to-change-prices-of-.cz-domains/

North Korea moves to bring KP top-level domain back online [IDG]
Domain names using North Korea's dot-kp top-level domain could soon be returning 
to the Internet after being offline for months.
http://www.itworld.com/internet/132273/north-korea-moves-bring-kp-top-level-domain-back-online

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/010311-north-korea-moves-to-bring.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/215412/.html

Serbian National Register of Internet Domain Names and Ministry of 
Telecommunications and Information Society signed Agreement on Cooperation
Today, an Agreement on Cooperation was signed between the Ministry of 
Telecommunications and Information Society and the Serbian National Register of 
Internet Domain Names (RNIDS) at the Serbian Government building. The Agreement 
was signed by Minister Jasna Mati? and Director of RNIDS Nenad Marinkovi?.
http://rnids.rs/en/node/67?lang=en

RU-CENTER Launches the Registration of .NET.RU, .ORG.RU and .PP.RU Domains
>From December 27, 2010 RU-CENTER launches the registration of .NET.RU, .ORG.RU 
and .PP.RU third level domains.
http://www.nic.ru/news/en/2010/27.12.3rd-domains-ch.html

Domain name echoes Soviet times
The Soviet Union doesn?t really conjure up a warm and fuzzy feeling for many. 
Some of the highlights include banishment to Siberia, gulags, famine, Stalin, 
the KGB and the complete lockdown of an entire country. But, there?s apparently 
still nostalgia for the good ol? USSR. People like middle-aged business owner 
Elena Arzumanyan don?t want their world wide web addresses to end in dot-com or 
?.ru,? Russia?s official address, but in ?.su? ? as in the Soviet Union.
http://www.theworld.org/2010/12/29/domain-name-echoes-soviet-times/

so: Japanese corporate kleptomania in bed with anarchic state
Not only does Japan steal precious tuna from Somalia, now they robbed the 
country's top-level domain. That piracy is all about business is known since the 
days of the Barbary wars, but in Somalia it has now taken on new dimensions.
http://www.groundreport.com/Business/Japan-One-of-the-Top-Pirates-in-Somalia/2932423


uk: Lesley Cowley awarded OBE in Queen's New Year's Honours List
We are delighted to announce that Lesley Cowley was awarded an OBE for services 
to the Internet and e-commerce in the Queen's New Year's Honours List.
http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=8089

Nominet CEO Awarded OBE in Queen's New Year's Honours List
Nominet, the .UK registry, announced their CEO was awarded an OBE for services 
to the internet and e-commerce in the 2011 Queen's New Year's Honours List.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/01/03/nominet-ceo-awarded-obe-in-queens-new-years-honours-list/


UK domain chief awarded OBE
Lesley Cowley, chief executive of .uk registry Nominet, has been awarded the OBE 
in the Queen?s New Year?s Honours List, the company has just announced.
http://domainincite.com/uk-domain-chief-awarded-obe/

**********************
 - NEW TLDS
**********************
ICANN rejects Bulgarian IDN info request
A Bulgarian domain name association has had its request for information about 
ICANN?s rejection of the domain .?? itself rejected.
http://domainincite.com/icann-rejects-bulgarian-idn-info-request/

Creators of .GAY working on a .FLORIDA
According to an open LinkedIn group focused on new gTLDs, the man behind .GAY is 
planning a .FLORIDA.
http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/354-Creators-of-.GAY-working-on-a-.FLORIDA.html


**********************
 - DNS SECURITY
**********************
Opinion: Cyberteeth Bared by Ian Bremmer & Parag Khanna
2010 was the year that removed all doubt that cybersecurity is now a 
geopolitical problem. We learned from diplomatic cables exposed by WikiLeaks 
that from Europe to the Middle East to China and beyond, Washington is having an 
even tougher time than we thought getting what it wants. The leaks themselves 
have only made matters more delicate, not just by embarrassing some of America?s 
friends, but by fueling conspiracy theories that Washington was somehow behind 
the leaks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/opinion/23iht-edbremmer23.html

DDoS attacks threaten free speech, says report
Computer attacks launched against sites run by human rights and dissident media 
groups threaten to knock free speech off the Web, a new report warned this week.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9202138/DDoS_attacks_threaten_free_speech_says_report

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/122210-ddos-attacks-threaten-free-speech.html

http://www.pcworld.com/article/214681/.html

Harvard study probes Denial of Service attacks
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks have emerged as one of the more 
vexing issues network administrators face, according to a study by the Berkman 
Centre for Internet Society at Harvard University.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/242477,harvard-study-probes-denial-of-service-attacks.aspx


Germany Plans a New Cyber Defense Agency
The number of cyber attacks in Germany and abroad has skyrocketed in recent 
years, costing the economy upwards of 10 billion euros annually. In response, 
the government in Berlin is planning to create an agency dedicated to 
documenting and stopping such high-tech assaults.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,736842,00.html

Germany plans news cyber-warfare defence centre
Germany will create a new cyber-warfare defence centre next year to fight off 
espionage attacks, the German interior ministry said.
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53801720101227
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6BQ2JS20101227
http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/germany-plans-cyber-war-defence-3987272

Germany reports 'sharp rise' in cyberattacks [AFP]
Germany detected a sharp rise in cyberattacks in 2010, many originating in 
China, and plans to set up a special centre next year to deal with the danger, 
the government said on Monday.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/germany-reports-sharp-rise-in-cyberattacks-20101228-198ot.html

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/germany-reports-sharp-rise-in-cyberattacks-20101228-198ot.html


Web attack takes Anonymous activists offline
The notorious message board 4Chan has been taken offline by an overwhelming web 
attack. Because of the attack, the discussion boards of the site have been hard 
to reach or offline for almost 24 hours.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12090245

FBI raids ISP in Anonymous DDoS investigation [IDG]
Authorities in the U.S. and Germany have raided Internet Service Providers in 
hopes of tracking down the hackers who launched distributed denial of service 
(DDoS) attacks against Web sites such as Visa.com, PayPal.com, and 
Mastercard.com earlier this month.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9202838/FBI_raids_ISP_in_Anonymous_DDoS_investigation

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/372145/fbi_raids_isp_anonymous_ddos_investigation/

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/215210/.html

Hackers make a mockery of government security
Australia is facing an unprecedented cyber security crisis with new attacks from 
global hackers growing at a much faster rate than the federal government can 
respond.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/hackers-make-a-mockery-of-government-security/story-e6frg6n6-1225980696826


au: National Broadband Network at risk from spies and hackers
The National Broadband Network could be vulnerable to attack unless it is backed 
by tougher counter-measures, says a cyber security report.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/national-broadband-network-at-risk-from-spies-and-hackers/story-fn59niix-1225981280336


**********************
 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
**********************
uk: Met Police shut websites during Christmas shopping rush
More than 1,800 websites selling counterfeit or non-existent goods have been 
shut down by police. The websites were offering items including Premier League 
tickets, Ugg boots, Tiffany jewellery and Timberland clothing.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12073524

ISNIC Issues Statement On Reasons For Deleting Wikileaks.is
The registration of wikileaks.is has caused the Icelandic registry, ISNIC, to 
issue a statement stating under what conditions they would delete the domain 
name.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13260
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/12/28/isnic-wikileaksis/
http://domainnews.com/en/isnic-issues-statement-on-possible-reasons-for-deletion-of-wikileaks.is.html


Wikileaks.is
Under what circumstances would ISNIC close or delete the domain wikileaks.is 
based on the contents of their website?
http://www.isnic.is/y/news/view/id/204
http://www.isnic.is/english/news/index.php

Help EFF Defend Against Righthaven Trolls
The copyright troll Righthaven has brought over 190 cases?and counting?against 
bloggers, online journalists and others since March of this year. While EFF has 
taken on two of these cases directly (Democratic Underground and DiBiase) we 
have also been attempting to help those sued to secure counsel. If the tactics 
of these trolls trouble you and you are a member of the bar with experience in 
copyright litigation, these defendants need your help.
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/12/help-eff-defend-against-righthaven-trolls

Wow ? Cricket.com Hit with UDRP
The storied domain name Cricket.com has been hit with a UDRP according to 
records at National Arbitration Forum.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/12/30/wow-cricket-com-hit-with-udrp/

Groupon to enter Australia as daily deals sites explode
The world's largest daily deals website, Groupon, which Google tried to buy this 
month for $US6 billion, has confirmed it is entering the Australian market. ... 
But because an existing Australian deals company has had its application to use 
the Groupon name in Australia approved, the Chicago company has been forced to 
use the domain name of Stardeals in Australia.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/groupon-to-enter-australia-as-daily-deals-sites-explode-20101229-199ot.html

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/groupon-to-enter-australia-as-daily-deals-sites-explode-20101229-199ot.html


au: Screwfix Direct Limited v. Brian Perry
The Complainant is Screwfix Direct Limited of Yeovil Somerset, the United 
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, represented by Davies Collison 
Cave Law Pty Ltd Australia. The Respondent is Brian Perry of New South Wales, 
Australia, represented by Gibsons Solicitors Pty Ltd Australia. ... 7. Decision: 
For all the foregoing reasons, in accordance with paragraphs 4(i) of the Policy 
and 15 of the Rules, the Panel orders that the domain name 
<screwfixdirect.com.au> be transferred to the Complainant.
http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=DAU2010-0019

**********************
 - IPv4/IPv6
**********************
2010 in IP addresses: 225 million down, 496 million to go
As of January 1, 2011, the number of unused IPv4 addresses stands at 495.66 
million. Exactly a year earlier, the number of available addresses was 721.06 
million. So we collectively used up 225.4 million addresses in 2010. 242 
million, really, if we ignore the unusual circumstance that Interop gave back 
nearly 17 million addresses.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/01/2010-in-ip-addresses-225-million-down-496-million-to-go.ars


**********************
 - MISCELLANEOUS
**********************
Go Daddy passes 45 million domains milestone
That?s the word from Scottsdale tonight. The news comes less than a year after 
the registrar announced its 40 millionth domain name registration.
http://domainincite.com/go-daddy-passes-45-million-domain-milestone/

Go Daddy Crosses 45 Million Domain Name Mark
Yesterday at 6:02 PM MST, The Go Daddy Group topped 45 million domain names 
under management across its registrars. This comes about 9 months after the 
company crossed the 40 million mark.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/12/27/go-daddy-crosses-45-million-domain-name-mark/


GoDaddy Is Restricting Whois Domain Registrant Information
In doing some research, I noticed GoDaddy showing limited registrant information 
when searching DomainTools Whois tool.
http://www.dotsauce.com/2011/01/01/godaddy-is-restricting-whois-registrant-information/


**********************
 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
**********************
Bets placed on gambling over sex [The Times]
A SMALL online casino and advertising company is hoping that gambling will prove 
more lucrative than sex. Media Corporation is selling what may turn out to be 
the world's most expensive internet domain name. The London-based group has put 
gambling.com on the block and expects the name to fetch more than $US10 million 
($9.8m).
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/industry-sectors/bets-placed-on-gambling-over-sex/story-e6frg98o-1225981514264


Christmas Comes Early at Sedo Where LawFirm.com Commands $233,000 and a Much 
Bigger Deal Appears Ready to Close
There must be a lot of Christmas cheer in the offices at Sedo.com right now. 
They closed the past week's biggest domain sale - LawFirm.com at $233,501 and as 
of this writing appeared ready to complete one much bigger than that.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2010/20101229.htm

Quartet of 6-Figure Sales Totaling Over $1.1 Million Give the Domain Aftermarket 
Another Strong Outing
As I write this, Christmas Day is still 10 days away but it seems Santa paid an 
early visit to the domain industry this week. Four lucky domain sellers found 
shiny six-figure financial packages under their tree, with one treated to a 
$750,000 deal for Ringtones.com brokered by Sedo's Dave Evanson.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2010/20101222.htm

Christmas Comes Early at Sedo Where LawFirm.com Commands $233,000 and a Much 
Bigger Deal Appears Ready to Close
There must be a lot of Christmas cheer in the offices at Sedo.com right now. 
They closed the past week's biggest domain sale - LawFirm.com at $233,501 and as 
of this writing appeared ready to complete one much bigger than that.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2010/20101229.htm

DOMAINfest Global in February Promises Global Look at Aftermarket Issues
DOMAINfest Global is coming soon, scheduled for 1 to 3 February in Santa Monica 
with more than 600 people from 30 countries expected to attend along with 
presenters from around the globe. Highlights of DOMAINfest are presentations by 
Bob Parsons, (Go Daddy), Ben Mezrich (author) and Dr. J?rg Schweiger (DENIC) as 
well as the annual PITCHfest contest, two live domain name auctions and evening 
networking parties.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/12/23/domainfest-global-in-february-promises-global-look-at-aftermarket-issues/


More Gambling Domain Names for Sale
Following the sale of some gambling domain names for multi million dollar 
amounts, the owners of unused domain names have got their expectations high. 
Gambling Invest is a division of Domain Invest limited and claims to be "the 
first marketplace for gambling domains" It holds monthly online auctions as well 
as live auctions at major gambling industry events. Its objective is to become 
"the premiere destination for gambling webmasters and online gambling companies 
looking to find the perfect domain names for their online gambling sites".
http://www.casinoadvisor.com/more-gambling-domain-names-for-sale-news-item.html

**********************
REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS
**********************
Net Neutrality as Diplomacy by Jonathan Zittrain [Yale Law & Policy Review]
Abstract: Popular imagination holds that the turf of a state?s foreign embassy 
is a little patch of its homeland. Enter the American Embassy in Beijing and you 
are in the United States. Indeed, in many contexts ? such as resistance to 
search and seizure by a host country?s authorities ? there is an inviolability 
to diplomatic outposts. These arrangements have been central to diplomacy for 
decades so that diplomats can perform their work without fear of harassment and 
coercion.
http://yalelawandpolicy.org/29/net-neutrality-as-diplomacy
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1729424

**********************
INTERNET USE
**********************
Internet use spreading around British homes [Press Association]
A love affair with gadgets including mobile phones and wireless internet is 
changing the way we live, a survey of 5,000 Britons has confirmed.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/02/internet-home-spread-survey
http://news.uk.msn.com/science/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=155739836
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20110102/tuk-web-use-spreading-around-the-home-6323e80.html


Facebook generation suffer information withdrawal syndrome
Turning off mobile phones, avoiding the internet and tuning out of the 
television and radio can leave people suffering from symptoms similar to those 
seen in drug addicts trying to go cold turkey, researchers have found.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8235302/Facebook-generation-suffer-information-withdrawal-syndrome.html


Justin Bieber is more influential online than the Dalai Lama or US president
How influential are you as an online opinion-former? A San Francisco-based 
social networking index believes it has the answer.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/02/klout-social-media-networking

65% of internet users have paid for online content
Overview: Nearly two-thirds of internet users ? 65% ? have paid to download or 
access some kind of online content from the internet, ranging from music to 
games to news articles to adult material. Music, software, and apps are the most 
popular content that internet users have paid to access or download, although 
the range of paid online content is quite varied and widespread.
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Paying-for-Content.aspx

65 percent of American internet users have bought content online
About 65 percent of Internet users have paid for some kind of online content, 
according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center. Pew found that digital 
music and software are the two most common purchases, yet almost half of the 
users have only bought one or two kinds of content, and most have only used one 
method of access, such as streaming or downloading.
http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2010/12/65-percent-of-internet-users-have-bought-content-online.ars


China's online population rises to 450 million [AFP]
China said Thursday the number of Internet users in what is already the world's 
largest online market had jumped to 450 million -- more than a third of the 
country's 1.3-billion-strong population.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/chinas-online-population-rises-to-450-million-20101230-19ayq.html

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/chinas-online-population-rises-to-450-million-20101230-19ayq.html


Facebook tops Google as most visited site in U.S.
Facebook surpassed Google for the first time as the most visited website in the 
United States for most of 2010.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6BT3ZT20101230
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53856620101230

Facebook was the top search term in 2010 for second straight year [news release]
Experian Hitwise, a part of Experian Marketing Services, has analyzed the top 
1000 search terms for 20101 and Facebook was the top-searched term overall. This 
is the second year that the social networking website has been the top search 
term overall, accounting for 2.11 percent of all searches.1 Four variations of 
the term "facebook" were among the top 10 terms and accounted for 3.48 percent 
of searches overall.
http://www.hitwise.com/us/press-center/press-releases/facebook-was-the-top-search-term-in-2010-for-sec/


Skype outage sparks criticism
Internet phone service Skype is facing criticism over its handling of a software 
failure that brought down connections for millions of consumers and businesses 
in the US, Europe and Asia.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/dec/23/skype-outage-2010

More than 3m UK children have no internet access at home, warns charity
More than one million children in Britain live in homes without computers and a 
further two million have no internet connection at home, a charity said 
yesterday.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/dec/28/uk-children-home-computer-access


A million UK children 'lack access to computers'
More than a million school children in the UK still lack access to a computer at 
home, research suggests.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12075057

Wi-Fi Overload at High-Tech Meetings
Internet entrepreneurs climb on stage at technology conferences and praise a 
world in which everyone is perpetually connected to the Web.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/29/technology/29wifi.html

**********************
SOCIAL NETWORKING
**********************
Share Rules Could Push Offering by Facebook
Facebook likes big numbers ? it now has more than 500 million users, each one of 
whom can have as many as 5,000 friends. Yet as a privately held company, its 
ownership base must remain small, or it will have to disclose publicly its 
financial results.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/focus-on-private-shares-could-push-a-public-offering/


Look out Google, Facebook's the 'second internet' [AFP]
Facebook is challenging Google's supremacy on the internet with a radically 
different approach to how people live, work, play and search online.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/look-out-google-facebooks-the-second-internet-20101230-19afw.html

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/look-out-google-facebooks-the-second-internet-20101230-19afw.html


Goldman Invests in Facebook at $50 Billion Valuation
Facebook ... has raised $500 million from Goldman Sachs and a Russian investor 
in a deal that values the company at $50 billion, according to people involved 
in the transaction. The deal makes Facebook now worth more than companies like 
eBay, Yahoo and Time Warner.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/goldman-invests-in-facebook-at-50-billion-valuation/


Job hunters hired and rejected by the (Face)book
THINK twice before uploading another photo or status update if you are going for 
a job interview - employers are watching you.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/job-hunters-hired-and-rejected-by-the-facebook-20110101-19cmd.html

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/beware-getting-off-your-facebook-20110101-19cj7.html


**********************
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
**********************
2010: The year ruled by smartphones and social networks by Rob Pegoraro
The year 2010 began with a herd of manufacturers chasing Amazon's Kindle. It 
ends with some of the same companies in pursuit of Apple's iPad. In between 
those tablet-computing crazes, we've all been challenged to keep up with the 
expanding universes of social networking and smartphones.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/01/AR2011010102091.html


What's In Store for Technology in 2011
Personal Technology columnist Walt Mossberg takes a look at the challenges and 
opportunities facing some of the major players in consumer technology in 2011: 
It has been a big year in personal technology, from the debut and early success 
of Apple's iPad, to the rise and continuous improvement of Google's Android 
smart phone platform, to the continued surge in social services led by Facebook 
and Twitter.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704774604576035624059759898.html

Opinion: How Videogames Are Changing the Economy: From Silicon Valley to China 
to media, they are leading the next productivity revolution. So hug a geek 
today.
This fall, the Chinese National University of Defense Technology announced that 
it had created the world's fastest supercomputer, Tianhe-1A, which clocks in at 
2.5 petaflops (or 2,500 trillion operations) per second. This is the shape of 
the world to come?but not in the way you might think.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203418804576040103609214400.html

Santa Claus is coming to town: US radar tracks his progress
Father Christmas has taken off from the north pole and is on his busy way to see 
you, according to a US and Canadian defence organisation that is tracking his 
sleigh's progress across the globe.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/24/santa-tracker-norad-radar

Windows 7 breaks 20% share barrier
Windows 7 cracked the 20% share mark last month, a milestone the problem-plagued 
Vista never reached, a Web measurement vendor said over the weekend.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9203021/Windows_7_breaks_20_share_barrier
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/372151/microsoft_ie_loses_largest_share_two_years/

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/010311-windows-7-breaks-20-share.html

************************************************
CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
************************************************
sg: No 'opt-in' system here for online porn
ISPs here will not be asked to pre-block pornographic websites as their British 
counterparts are being urged to do.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_617604.html

S'pore app stores opt for self-policing
Stakeholders say rating system a la Google's Android Market the way to go for 
app stores, but local telcos for now still look to filter apps based on official 
and self-regulation.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/s-pore-app-stores-opt-for-self-policing-62205353.htm

Opinion: Parents must protect kids from porn
The average age of first exposure to Internet pornography is 11, often because 
of stumbling onto sites while doing homework. Children searching "White House" 
can easily end up typing "com" instead of "gov" and end up at a porn site.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/29/parents-must-protect-kids-from-porn/


us: New year brings new law targeting cyberbullying
Tragic end: In the past year, there have been several high-profile suicides 
nationwide attributed to harsh treatment on the Internet. A new state law aims 
to address that behavior.
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2010/12/new-year-brings-new-law-targeting-cyberbullying


uk: 'Police changes will help online paedophiles? [sub req'd]
Charities have asked ministers not to dilute the importance of child protection
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/crime/article2855416.ece

**********************
ONLINE TV & MUSIC
**********************
Watch the next series of the Ashes on the Times website
It's the future of media: live and exclusive daytime sports from the comfort of 
your office and your favorite Murdoch newspaper. Don't bother with the rest.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2010/dec/28/cricket-sky-and-the-public-interest


Manufacturers Turn to Smart TV After 3-D Disappoints
After 3-D TV failed to excite consumers last year, manufacturers are betting 
that following the app-laden path of smartphones and tablet computers will 
fatten up what have been ultraslim profit margins.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704835504576059783074010902.html

Nicolas Sarkozy's internet police warn 100,000 illegal downloaders
Nicolas Sarkozy's war on illegal downloading has begun in earnest, with the 
state internet surveillance body dubbed "Big Brother" warning more than 100,000 
French internet-users that they have been caught accessing pirate material.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/29/sarkozy-internet-police-warn-downloaders


MasterCard may cut off file sharing sites over piracy
File-sharing sites like Megaupload and RapidShare could find themselves cut off 
from MasterCard payments due to their users' propensity to use them for 
file-sharing. Though these sites have many legitimate users, as they provide a 
convenient way of transferring files too large to be conveniently sent by 
e-mail, they are also commonly used to distribute music, videos, and games 
without the permission of the rightsholders.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/12/mastercard-may-cut-off-file-sharing-sites-over-piracy.ars


us: ISP won't reveal names of alleged porn pirates
Time Warner Cable, one of the nation's largest Internet service providers, has 
refused to turn over customers accused in a lawsuit by Larry Flynt Publishing of 
pirating one of the company's porn films, according to Flynt's attorney.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-20026654-261.html

Avatar tops 2010 chart for illegal downloads
James Cameron's Avatar gained the distinction of being the highest-grossing film 
of all time last year. This year it can boast a new accolade: it was the film 
illegally downloaded most often.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/dec/22/avatar-illegal-downloads-torrent-chart


**********************
MOBILE/WIRELESS
**********************
eu: Phone firms back common charger plan
Keeping a smartphone fully powered could soon be easier as manufacturers back 
common standards for chargers.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12093013

Commission welcomes new EU standards for common mobile phone charger
Following a mandate from the European Commission, the European Standardisation 
Bodies CEN-CENELEC and ETSI have now made available the harmonised standards 
needed for the manufacture of data-enabled mobile phones compatible with a new 
common charger.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1776

Hackers crack open mobile network
Mobile calls and texts made on any GSM network can be eavesdropped upon using 
four cheap phones and open source software, say security researchers.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12094227

GSM phones vulnerable to hacking, claim researchers
Don't bother with a lengthy ring-round of your friends to wish them a happy new 
year. Just leave one of them a message on their mobile and wait for everyone 
else to hack into it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/dec/31/mobile-phone-gsm-hack

Outlawed, Cellphones Are Thriving in US Prisons
A counterfeiter at a Georgia state prison ticks off the remaining days of his 
three-year sentence on his Facebook page. He has 91 digital ?friends.? Like many 
of his fellow inmates, he plays the online games FarmVille and Street Wars.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/03/us/03prisoners.html

Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons, Possible Wireless Technology Solutions:
NTIA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the 
Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), 
has identified and evaluated several technology solutions that can be used in a 
prison environment, including jamming, managed access, and detection techniques. 
This report presents a comprehensive overview and evaluation of those 
technologies.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov//reports/2010/ContrabandCellPhoneReport_December2010.pdf
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/contrabandcellphones/index.html

For Apps, Profit Picture Is Blurry: Firms Seek Business Models as They Release 
Slew of Photo Software for Phones
Companies in recent months have launched a slew of photography applications for 
the iPhone and other smartphones, but many of these start-ups are still trying 
to figure out the best way to profit from their software programs.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703909904576051611712831244.html

BlackBerry denies India email access deal as struggle continues
BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion has hit back at reports that it is ready to 
allow Indian authorities access to customers' highly-secure corporate emails.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/dec/30/blackberry-india-email-access-messenger


The Rise of Apps, iPad and Android
In 2010, the computer truly went mobile. Sure, users of Apple Inc.'s iPhone have 
had the Web in their hands since 2007. But this past year, smartphones plunged 
into the mainstream, giving millions of people the ability to browse the 
Internet, watch movies and stream music anywhere they could maintain a cellular 
or Wi-Fi connection?and without having to find a place to sit down and boot up a 
laptop.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704774604576035611315663944.html

Outsmarted by Apple, Nokia Looks to Recover the 'Magic Dust'
For years, Nokia effortlessly dominated the cell phone market. But then Apple 
and Google muscled in on its turf and changed the game forever. The Finnish 
company is pinning its hopes on a new operating system, but it might be too 
little, too late.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,735873,00.html

Apple sued over apps privacy issues
Two separate groups of iPhone and iPad users have sued Apple Inc alleging that 
certain software applications were passing personal user information to 
third-party advertisers without consent.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6BR1YP20101228
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53816820101228

Apple sued over iPad and iPhone app 'data leaks'
Two groups of iPhone and iPad users are suing Apple saying apps for the gadgets 
leak personally identifiable data.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12089225

Apple faces suit over app privacy leaks
Apple and five other companies have been accused of allowing applications on the 
iPhone and iPad to transmit users' personal information to advertising networks 
without consent, in a legal complaint filed in the US.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/dec/29/apple-lawsuit-breach-of-privacy

Apple May Face More Privacy Lawsuits
Without definitive laws defining data privacy rights, Apple and other companies 
involved in developing mobile applications are likely to be targeted by 
consumers turning to the courts for protection.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228900196


Apple Applications Send Personal Information to Advertisers, Suit Claims
Apple Inc. was sued over claims that applications for the company?s iPhone and 
iPad transmit users? personal information to advertising networks without 
customers? consent.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-23/judge-sets-bail-for-apple-manager-devine-uneasy-about-foreign-accounts.html

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/smartphone-apps/apple-sued-over-iphone-and-ipad-apps-that-snoop-on-users-20101228-198wl.html

http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/smartphone-apps/apple-sued-over-iphone-and-ipad-apps-that-snoop-on-users-20101228-198wl.html


Android tops iPhone among recent US buyers, says Nielsen
Although Apple's share of the U.S. smartphone market remains slightly ahead of 
Google's, more buyers in the last six months picked a device powered by the 
latter's Android OS, Nielsen said today.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9203040/Android_tops_iPhone_among_recent_buyers_says_Nielsen


Why Apple's iPhone Will 'Drown in a Sea of Androids'
Google's Android mobile platform may still follow Apple's iPhone in the 
smartphone race, according to fresh Nielsen data released Monday, but that 
advantage may not last long.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/215361/.html

Virus attacks Android phones in China - researchers
A powerful virus targeting smart phones in China running Google Inc's Android 
operating system may represent the most sophisticated bug to target mobile 
devices to date, security researchers said on Thursday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53857120101230
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6BT4IB20101230
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/4505552/Virus-hits-android-phones

Android Market Unofficially Hits 200,000 Apps
Google's Android Market now has more than 200,000 apps, according to the 
third-party app tracking service AndroLib. This marks another big milestone in 
the breakneck race to the top with Apple's App Store but Google has not 
confirmed this achievement yet.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/215054/.html

UK mobile group to keep brands
Everything Everywhere, Britain?s largest mobile phone operator, is set to retain 
both the Orange and T-Mobile brands as it strives to minimise the risk of losing 
customers to rivals.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c21fd360-11f1-11e0-92d0-00144feabdc0.html

S'pore app stores opt for self-policing
Stakeholders say rating system a la Google's Android Market the way to go for 
app stores, but local telcos for now still look to filter apps based on official 
and self-regulation.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/s-pore-app-stores-opt-for-self-policing-62205353.htm

nz: Mobile phone costs to drop [NZPA]
The Commerce Commission has proposed big cuts in the wholesale price of calls to 
mobile networks.
http://nbr.co.nz/article/mobile-phone-costs-drop-nn-83377

**********************
SPAM
**********************
How Dan quit work to take on the spam kings - and won [AP]
Daniel Balsam hates spam. Most everybody does, of course. But he has acted on 
his hate as few have, going far beyond simply hitting the delete button. He sues 
them.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/how-dan-quit-work-to-take-on-the-spam-kings--and-won-20101227-1985l.html

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/how-dan-quit-work-to-take-on-the-spam-kings--and-won-20101227-1985l.html

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4496627/Man-quits-job-sues-spammers


**************************
ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
**************************
WikiLeaks, protest and the law - The rights and wrongs of hacktivism: protest 
can be disruptive but legal. But furtiveness removes its moral weight
Demonstrators are a tiresome lot. They block streets and clog traffic, costing 
other people time and money; they divert police attention, draining budgets and 
perhaps helping criminals. But decent countries allow disruptive protests and 
even deploy the forces of law and order to protect them. That is the price of 
political freedom, negotiated over many years and subject to many checks and 
balances.
http://www.economist.com/node/17732839?story_id=17732839

Extradition and WikiLeaks: An American trial is drawing nearer for Julian 
Assange
As the frissons of the WikiLeaks disclosures fade and cyberwars between its foes 
and fans sputter and flare, legal questions are becoming central: how can 
America bring the site?s founder, Julian Assange, to court. The answer to that 
may lie in Britain, where Mr Assange is battling an extradition request from 
Swedish prosecutors who want to question him on sexual-assault charges.
http://www.economist.com/node/17730546

McAfee: Coming cyber threats to target mobile devices, official secrets
The biggest cyber threats in 2011 are expected to include, among other new 
risks, malicious applications on mobile devices and attacks aimed at stealing 
government secrets and sabotaging business operations, according to McAfee.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20101228_6846.php

Apple No Longer Flying under the Security Radar
McAfee has compiled the wisdom and insight of its security researchers and 
produced the 2011 Threat Predictions Report. The report contains a variety of 
forecasts, prophecies, and educated guesses on what to expect for computer and 
information security next year, but one of the most notable is that Apple has 
achieved some level of critical mass that makes it a prime target.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/215009/.html

McAfee: Smartphones, Apple top '11 crime targets
Security firm McAfee expects malicious activity in 2011 to target smartphones, 
URL shorteners, geolocation services like Foursquare, and Apple products across 
the board, according to a report released Tuesday.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20026667-83.html
http://www.zdnetasia.com/mcafee-smartphones-apple-top-11-crime-targets-62205371.htm


McAfee Labs Predicts Geolocation, Mobile Devices and Apple Will Top the List of 
Targets for Emerging Threats in 2011 [news release]
McAfee, Inc. today unveiled its 2011 Threat Predictions report, outlining the 
top threats that researchers at McAfee Labs foresee for the coming year. The 
list comprises 2010's most buzzed about platforms and services, including 
Google's Android, Apple's iPhone, foursquare, Google TV and the Mac OS X 
platform, which are all expected to become major targets for cybercriminals. 
McAfee Labs also predicts that politically motivated attacks will be on the 
rise, as more groups are expected to repeat the WikiLeaks paradigm.
http://investor.mcafee.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=538998

Opinion: Cyberteeth Bared by Ian Bremmer & Parag Khanna
2010 was the year that removed all doubt that cybersecurity is now a 
geopolitical problem. We learned from diplomatic cables exposed by WikiLeaks 
that from Europe to the Middle East to China and beyond, Washington is having an 
even tougher time than we thought getting what it wants. The leaks themselves 
have only made matters more delicate, not just by embarrassing some of America?s 
friends, but by fueling conspiracy theories that Washington was somehow behind 
the leaks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/opinion/23iht-edbremmer23.html

DDoS attacks threaten free speech, says report
Computer attacks launched against sites run by human rights and dissident media 
groups threaten to knock free speech off the Web, a new report warned this week.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9202138/DDoS_attacks_threaten_free_speech_says_report

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/122210-ddos-attacks-threaten-free-speech.html

http://www.pcworld.com/article/214681/.html

Germany Plans a New Cyber Defense Agency
The number of cyber attacks in Germany and abroad has skyrocketed in recent 
years, costing the economy upwards of 10 billion euros annually. In response, 
the government in Berlin is planning to create an agency dedicated to 
documenting and stopping such high-tech assaults.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,736842,00.html

Germany plans news cyber-warfare defence centre
Germany will create a new cyber-warfare defence centre next year to fight off 
espionage attacks, the German interior ministry said.
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53801720101227
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6BQ2JS20101227
http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/germany-plans-cyber-war-defence-3987272

Germany reports 'sharp rise' in cyberattacks [AFP]
Germany detected a sharp rise in cyberattacks in 2010, many originating in 
China, and plans to set up a special centre next year to deal with the danger, 
the government said on Monday.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/germany-reports-sharp-rise-in-cyberattacks-20101228-198ot.html

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/germany-reports-sharp-rise-in-cyberattacks-20101228-198ot.html


Web attack takes Anonymous activists offline
The notorious message board 4Chan has been taken offline by an overwhelming web 
attack. Because of the attack, the discussion boards of the site have been hard 
to reach or offline for almost 24 hours.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12090245

au: Hackers make a mockery of government security
Australia is facing an unprecedented cyber security crisis with new attacks from 
global hackers growing at a much faster rate than the federal government can 
respond.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/hackers-make-a-mockery-of-government-security/story-e6frg6n6-1225980696826


au: National Broadband Network at risk from spies and hackers
The National Broadband Network could be vulnerable to attack unless it is backed 
by tougher counter-measures, says a cyber security report.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/national-broadband-network-at-risk-from-spies-and-hackers/story-fn59niix-1225981280336


Editorial: Juries and the internet: Justice on line
Most of us check people out online some time or other: it satisfies our 
curiosity and can be a reasonable precaution. How tempting, then, must it be for 
jurors to search for more information about the individual in the dock? The 
judge may have told them not to, but they want to know as much as possible about 
the accused before deciding whether to convict.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/03/juries-internet-justice-line

Gadgets Bring New Opportunities for Hackers
Researchers at Mocana, a security technology company in San Francisco, recently 
discovered they could hack into a best-selling Internet-ready HDTV model with 
unsettling ease.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/technology/27hack.html

Web attacks target human rights sites
Human rights groups and campaigners are being hit hard by huge web attacks 
launched by those opposed to their views, finds research.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12054774

Human rights sites must improve DDoS strategy
Distributed denial of service attacks against independent media and human rights 
sites have been common in 2010 and are expected to become more.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/mapping-babel-10017967/human-rights-sites-must-improve-ddos-strategy-10021377/


FTC Charges Massive Internet Enterprise with Scamming Consumers Out of Millions 
Billing Month-After-Month for Products and Services They Never Ordered [news 
release]
The Federal Trade Commission is taking legal action against a far-reaching 
Internet enterprise that allegedly has made millions of dollars by luring 
consumers into ?trial? memberships for bogus government-grant and money-making 
schemes, and then repeatedly charging them monthly fees for these and other 
memberships that they never signed up for. The FTC seeks to stop the illegal 
practices and make the defendants pay redress to consumers and give up their 
ill-gotten gains.
http://ftc.gov/opa/2010/12/iworks.shtm

American charged with hacking after snooping on wife's emails
A Michigan man has been charged under anti-hacking legislation designed to 
protect trade secrets after logging on to his wife's email account and 
discovering she was having an affair.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/27/us-man-hacking-wifes-emails

Is Snooping In Your Spouse?s Email a Crime?
Breaking a promise is not illegal; neither is violating the trust of a loved 
one?at least in the normal, everyday ways that we lie and cheat one another in 
our private lives. And this is certainly a good thing: the law is not intended 
to enforce morality but to provide for the public good, and to use the law to 
regulate, moderate, and enforce good faith and respect in our personal matters 
would certainly make our lives worse, even if it did provide legal remedy 
against lying, cheating jerks.
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/12/30/is-snooping-in-your-spouses-e-mail-a-crime/


Should it be a crime to read your spouse's e-mail? by John Levine
... Reading one's spouse's mail without permission may be tacky, but there are a 
lot of things that are tacky that are not and should not be illegal. (Where are 
the libertarians telling the government to stay out of our bedrooms?) Since this 
case appears to include plausible charges of child abuse, I have to wonder why 
the proscutor is wasting time with this very marginal case.
http://jl.ly/Email/divorcemail.html

US man charged after discovering wife's affair by reading her emails on shared 
computer [AP]
A US man who says he learned of his wife's affair by reading her e-mail on their 
computer faces trial on felony computer misuse charges.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/husband-charged-after-discovering-wifes-affair-by-reading-her-emails-on-shared-computer-20101228-198qu.html

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4498179/Man-charged-for-reading-wifes-email

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/husband-charged-after-discovering-wifes-affair-by-reading-her-emails-on-shared-computer-20101228-198qu.html


nz: Trade Me clients hit by scam
Trade Me customers are the victims of the latest online scam by fraudsters 
operating out of Russia.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10697447

Paul Allen tries again with suit against Apple, Google, Facebook ...
Mercer Island billionaire Paul Allen today renewed his effort to sue Apple, 
Google, Facebook, eBay, AOL and other companies for patent infringement.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2013788347_paul_allen_tries_again_with_su.html


Paul Allen revises patent suit, targets Android, Apple iTunes
Billionaire Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen yesterday filed a last-minute 
revision of a patent infringement lawsuit against 11 technology companies to 
include detailed claims that targeted Google's Android operating system, Apple's 
iTunes and App Store and Facebook's "Like" feature.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9202726/Paul_Allen_revises_patent_suit_targets_Android_Apple_iTunes


Microsoft co-founder relaunches tech patent suit
Microsoft Corp co-founder Paul Allen relaunched a wide-ranging patent lawsuit 
against Apple Inc, Google Inc, Facebook and others with specific allegations 
that the companies are illegally using technology owned by his company.
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53842520101230
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6BS19B20101229

**************************
PRIVACY
**************************
Computers That See You and Keep Watch Over You
Hundreds of correctional officers from prisons across America descended last 
spring on a shuttered penitentiary in West Virginia for annual training 
exercises.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/science/02see.html

Mozilla denies Firefox 4 'do-not-track' privacy option
Firefox 4 will not include a 'do not track' privacy option to block targeted 
advertising, according to the web browser's maker Mozilla.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security/2010/12/23/mozilla-denies-firefox-4-do-not-track-privacy-option-40091255/


us: Internet Policy Task Force Green Paper: Commercial Data Privacy and 
Innovation in the Internet Economy: A Dynamic Policy Framework
This report recommends consideration of a new framework for addressing online 
privacy issues in the United States.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/2010/IPTF_Privacy_GreenPaper_12162010.pdf

**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
Opinion: It only takes one bad Apple
Apple's recent removal of a WikiLeaks application from its itunes App Store 
could lead to a product boycott.
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2010/12/2010122283133209261.html

Apple approves then pulls unofficial Wikileaks app
On December 20, Apple removed an unofficial Wikileaks app from the App Store. 
Apple had approved the app, which simply showed the Wikileaks twitter feed and 
website, three days earlier. Considering Apple?s uptight attitude toward iPhone 
and iPad apps, it is perhaps more surprising that an app providing access to the 
controversial site?s content was approved in the first place than that it was 
quickly yanked from the store.
http://futureoftheinternet.org/apple-approves-then-pulls-unofficial-wikileaks-app


2010 Trend Watch Update: Global Internet Censorship
At the beginning of this year EFF identified a dozen important trends in law, 
technology and business that we thought would play a significant role in shaping 
digital rights in 2010, with a promise to revisit our predictions at the end of 
the year. Now, as 2010 comes to a close, we're going through each of our 
predictions one by one to see how accurate we were in our trend-spotting. Today, 
we're looking back on Trend #3, Global Internet Censorship, where we predicted 
the following:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/12/2010-trend-watch-update-global-internet-censorship


China shuts over 60,000 porn websites this year
China shut down more than 60,000 pornographic websites this year, netting almost 
5,000 suspects in the process, a government spokesman said on Thursday, vowing 
no let-up in its campaign against material deemed obscene.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6BT0K220101230
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53842520101230

China shuts down 60,000 pornographic websites [AFP]
China said Thursday that authorities had shut down more than 60,000 pornographic 
websites as part of a year-long crackdown on lewd online content, as Beijing 
moves to tighten control over the Internet.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-shuts-down-60000-pornographic-websites-20101230-19azk.html

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-shuts-down-60000-pornographic-websites-20101230-19azk.html


Hungary Waves Off Criticism Over Media Law
Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban, poised to take over presidency of the 
European Union, is fighting back against criticism from Germany and other 
countries over a new Hungarian law that some fear could be used to curb press 
freedom.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/world/europe/26hungary.html

Seoul eyes crackdown on North Korean Internet propaganda [IDG]
The South Korean government plans to further restrict its citizens from 
accessing and relaying information on the Internet that is sympathetic to North 
Korea.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/122210-seoul-eyes-crackdown-on-north.html

Japan comic publishers to hold rival fair after porn ban [AFP]
Eight major Japanese manga comic and anime film publishers on Wednesday said 
they will hold a rival event to Tokyo's top industry fair in protest at a new 
restriction on sexually explicit materials.
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20101229-255428.html


**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
Just 21% of Americans Want FCC to Regulate Internet, Most Fear Regulation Would 
Promote Political Agenda
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that only 21% of 
likely U.S. Voters want the Federal Communications Commission to regulate the 
Internet as it does radio and television. Fifty-four percent (54%) are opposed 
to such regulation, and 25% are not sure.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/december_2010/just_21_want_fcc_to_regulate_internet_most_fear_regulation_would_promote_political_agenda


1 in 5 of Americans want 'Net regulated like TV
The old adage that you can get the answers you want if you ask the right 
questions was reconfirmed this week via a new opinion poll on "Internet 
neutrality." But the real story may be a bit more complicated.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/12/new-poll-21-of-americans-want-net-regulated-like-tv.ars


Concern at governments? moves to control web
WikiLeaks? seemingly unstoppable stream of disclosures has intensified efforts 
by governments to exert more control over information and the complex technology 
underpinning its availability on the internet. From the UN to the self-governing 
body overseeing web addresses, countries are working to assert more authority, 
with some success.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3cb52054-12aa-11e0-b4c8-00144feabdc0.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3cb52054-12aa-11e0-b4c8-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=9a36c1aa-3016-11da-ba9f-00000e2511c8.html


BT service could pave the way for two-tier web
New service will enable companies to charge content owners for better quality 
videos but has sparked complaints over principle of all web traffic being 
treated equally
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ff4c3fe8-1779-11e0-badd-00144feabdc0.html

Network neutrality: America?s new internet rules are mostly sensible - but the 
country?s real web problem is far more basic
For a subject that arouses such strong passions, ?network neutrality? is 
fiendishly difficult to pin down. Ask five geeks and you may well be given six 
definitions of it. The basic concept sounds simple enough: that the internet?s 
pipes should show no favours and blindly deliver packets of data from one place 
to another regardless of their origin, destination or contents. But the devil is 
in the detail. What happens for instance if some people want to pay for their 
data to go faster, or if others hog all the bandwidth? And it does not help that 
both political proponents and opponents of this undefinable thing claim they are 
fighting to defend free speech and innovation.
http://www.economist.com/node/17800141

2010 Trend Watch Update: Net Neutrality
At the beginning of this year EFF identified a dozen important trends in law, 
technology and business that we thought would play a significant role in shaping 
digital rights in 2010, with a promise to revisit our predictions at the end of 
the year. Now, as 2010 comes to a close, we're going through each of our 
predictions one by one to see how accurate we were in our trend-spotting. Today, 
we're looking back on Trend #6, Net Neutrality: The Rubber Hits The Road, where 
we predicted:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/12/2010-trend-watch-update-net-neutrality

South Korean court rules on internet law
South Korea?s Constitutional Court has ruled that a law that bans the spreading 
of false information online is unconstitutional, in a move welcomed by free 
speech advocates in the world?s most wired nation.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/38b354a4-126d-11e0-b4c8-00144feabdc0.html

Online sales will kill jobs: Australian retailers
Australia's biggest retailers will launch an advertising campaign aimed at 
pressuring the government to impose GST on all goods bought over the internet.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/industry-sectors/online-sales-will-kill-jobs-retailers/story-e6frg9h6-1225981302010


au: GST on overseas sales a 'knee-jerk reaction'
Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten says the Government will not be rushed into 
making a decision on whether or not to charge GST on goods bought from overseas 
via the internet.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/04/3106030.htm

Giants of Australian retail count their losses as the web threat comes of age
More than 10 years after internet retailing was touted as the next big thing, 
traditional merchants are finally beginning to feel the pinch.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/industry-sectors/giants-of-retail-count-their-losses-as-the-web-threat-comes-of-age/story-e6frg9h6-1225975615882


Google Deal Divides Travel Industry
Google has a knack for making waves when it pushes into new arenas, and online 
travel is no exception. Six months ago, Google announced its intention to buy 
the company that made it easy for travelers to compare airfares, ITA Software, 
for $700 million.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/business/28ita.html

us: New Laws Govern Guns, Web, Banks
A raft of new federal and local laws ring in the new year, governing a span of 
topics from health care and finance to texting, guns and smoking. ... "States 
passed laws last year to directly address cyber bullying and the use of 
technology to steal identities and misrepresent who you are online," said Meagan 
Dorsch, director of public affairs for the National Conference of State 
Legislatures, a bipartisan group that offers data and research to legislators 
nationwide. "There are a lot of examples of states expanding their current laws 
to try to protect the public while they engage in new technologies."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704735304576058221048255628.html

*********************************
MISCELLANEOUS
*********************************
Google Digital Newsstand Aims to Muscle In on Apple
Google Inc. and Apple Inc. have stepped up their battle to win over publishers, 
as the two companies vie to become the dominant distributor of newspapers and 
magazines for tablet computers and other mobile devices.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704543004576051800714082180.html

Ring, Ring. Hi, It's Google
Google Inc., which helped popularize the idea of automated ad sales on the Web, 
has been quietly turning to an old-fashioned tool?phone calls?to compete in the 
hot market for local business advertising.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703814804576036252770969080.html

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
China Clamps Down On Internet Phone
Chinese regulators are clamping down on Internet phone services that aren't 
provided by the country's two state-owned telecommunications companies, 
according to state media, a move that could make services like Skype SA 
unavailable in the world's most populous country.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703909904576052130528260822.html

VoIP decision means Skype now illegal
The Chinese regulator has declared Internet phone services other than those 
provided by China Telecom and China Unicom as illegal, which is expected to make 
services like Skype unavailable in the country.
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90860/7246526.html

Skype Banned in China? Not So Fast...
Is China?s government going after Skype? Media reports over the past week have 
raised that prospect in relation to a government clampdown on ?illegal? 
voice-over-Internet-protocol, or VoIP, telephone services.
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/01/03/skype-china-ban-reports-overblown/

Skype could be designated illegal in China
The popular Internet telephone service Skype could be dealt a major setback in 
one of the world's largest markets as the Chinese government cracks down on what 
it called illegal Internet telephone providers.
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53865520101231
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6BU0XL20101231

China may ban Skype with new rules
China may soon ban Skype, the government's official newspaper said today, 
potentially putting the popular Internet chat and phone service in the same boat 
as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9202818/China_may_ban_Skype_with_new_rules


India to overhaul decade-old telecoms policy - minister
India plans to overhaul its decade-old telecoms policy, framing new rules on 
mergers and on radiowaves, Telecoms Minister Kapil Sibal said on Saturday, 
seeking to revamp a high-growth sector hit by several scandals.
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-53874220110101

Obama's Broadband Punt: How an administration obsessed with green jobs missed 
the real growth sector of the economy
It?s a well-known lament that America?s broadband performance badly lags the 
rest of the world?s. Household adoption rates are mediocre compared with those 
of other OECD countries, and subscription prices are scandalously higher than 
even the super-speed nirvanas of South Korea and Japan.
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/12/11/obama-is-missing-the-broadband-boat.html

Fiber-Optic Networks in US Regain Some Glow: Data Traffic Turns Regional 
Operators Into Buyout Targets
After the telecom bubble burst a decade ago, fiber was a dirty word. Now, the 
fiber-optic network business is enjoying a resurgence, particularly for metro 
fiber, the high-capacity lines that connect a city's office buildings, data 
centers and cellular towers to the Internet. ... Data-heavy devices like Apple 
Inc.'s iPhone and iPad have put growing strain on cellular networks, 
particularly the connections between cell towers and land-based networks, where 
bottlenecks often form.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204467204576048110913769584.html

Deutsche Telekom Chief Cleared In German Bribery Probe
German prosecutors have dropped a bribery investigation of Deutsche Telekom AG?s 
chief executive, Rene Obermann, for lack of evidence, according to news reports.
http://blogs.wsj.com/corruption-currents/2011/01/03/deutsche-telekom-chief-cleared-in-german-bribery-probe/


European Ka-Sat net-dedicated spacecraft lifts off
The second European satellite dedicated to delivering broadband internet 
connections has launched successfully.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12065466

European broadband-Internet satellite launched [IDG]
A new satellite that promises to bring broadband Internet to homes and 
businesses across Europe and the Mediterranean was successfully launched on 
Sunday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/122710-european-broadband-internet-satellite.html


S'pore tweaks telecom policies to 'safeguard' consumers
Country's ICT regulator amends Telecom Competition Code to disallow telcos from 
"cross-terminating" service agreement and automatically charging consumers after 
end of free service trials.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/s-pore-tweaks-telecom-policies-to-safeguard-consumers-62205312.htm


NZ mulls cut in wholesale call costs [AAP]
The New Zealand Commerce Commission is proposing a "substantial immediate 
reduction" in the wholesale price of voice calls to mobile networks.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/nz-mulls-cut-in-wholesale-call-costs-339308189.htm

au: Asbestos next big challenge for NBN
The company delivering the National Broadband Network could be forced to remove 
asbestos from trenches being dug for the project.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/asbestos-next-big-challenge-for-nbn/story-fn59niix-1225976467495


Alcatel-Lucent settles US bribery charges [Wall Street Journal]
French telecommunications company Alcatel-Lucent agreed to pay more than $US137 
million to settle charges it bribed foreign government officials in Latin 
America and Asia before 2006.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/news/alcatel-lucent-settles-us-bribery-charges/story-e6frg90x-1225977268218


UK telecom rivals accuse BT of violating rules on competition
BT has been accused of infringing competition law after a watchdog said the firm 
squeezed rivals through its wholesale pricing of phone calls.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/business-news/telecom-rivals-accuse-bt-of-violating-rules-on-competition-15036553.html


Indian 2G Scam: When Technicality Kills Accountability
Here is a prediction for 2011: Possibly the greatest scandal in Indian 
governmental history is likely to die a death by 1,000 technicalities.
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2011/01/03/2g-scam-when-technicality-kills-accountability/



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(c) David Goldstein 2010


 
---------
David Goldstein
email: goldstein_david&#167;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 Flannery