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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Who Controls The Internet?
http://cybersecurityreport.nextgov.com/2011/03/who_controls_the_internet.php

EDITORIAL: Obama to the Internet: No ICANN - White House undermines freedom of the World Wide Web
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/4/obama-to-the-internet-no-icann/

Letter from Peter Dengate Thrush to Heather Dryden
http://icann.org/en/correspondence/dengate-thrush-to-dryden-05mar11-en.pdf

.AU Registry Finds Reseller and Registrar in Breach for Spamming
http://www.domainnamenews.com/up-to-the-minute/au-registry-finds-reseller-registrar-breach-spamming/8852

au: Domain Name Registration Tips
http://blog.auda.org.au/2011/03/02/domain-name-registration-tips/

What did that letter from GAC to the ICANN Board actually say?
http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/03/04/gac-letter-to-board

Governments react to Brussels new TLDs meeting
http://domainincite.com/governments-react-to-brussels-new-tlds-meeting/

Will the U.S. get an Internet ?Kill Switch??
http://futureoftheinternet.org/will-the-u-s-get-an-internet-?kill-switch?


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GOVERNANCE
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Who Controls The Internet?
Who controls the Internet? This is a question that has reemerged in recent weeks as the crisis in the Middle East and North Africa has unfolded. Reports of Egypt's shutdown of network operators left many asking whether other nations, including the U.S., could flip a "kill switch" and bring down the Internet in their respective nations. (For the record, the U.S. government could not easily do so.) Egypt is not the first country to deny service to the Internet for its citizens -- Iran and China, for example, both have blocked traffic, content, and services. Indeed, North Korea has blocked all Internet access to its citizens.
http://cybersecurityreport.nextgov.com/2011/03/who_controls_the_internet.php

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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EDITORIAL: Obama to the Internet: No ICANN - White House undermines freedom of the World Wide Web
Freedom of information and communication on the Internet is playing a key role in supporting pro-democracy demonstrators in the Middle East and developing norms for civil society elsewhere around the world. But just when freedom is beginning to flicker, the Obama administration is seeking to give authoritarian regimes more power to impose censorship on the Web.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/4/obama-to-the-internet-no-icann/

Letter from Peter Dengate Thrush to Heather Dryden
Documenting the Board/GAC Brussels
http://icann.org/en/correspondence/dengate-thrush-to-dryden-05mar11-en.pdf

WHOIS Review Team ? Call for Public Comment
The WHOIS Policy Review Team was launched in October 2010 in line with the Affirmation of Commitments (AoC) provisions, section 9.3.1, which stipulates that:
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-04mar11-en.htm

Hear Vint Cerf, One of the "Fathers of the Internet", at the At-Large NARALO Showcase on Monday, 14 March During ICANN's Silicon Valley Meeting in San Francisco
The North American Regional At-Large Organization (NARALO) is pleased to host Dr. Vinton ("Vint") Cerf's keynote speech, "Amplifying the Voices of Civil Society" at the NARALO Showcase during ICANN's 40th Meeting to be held in San Francisco. The event, sponsored by Google, will be held on Monday, 14 March from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Tower Salon A in the Westin St. Francis hotel in San Francisco. Drinks and snacks will be available.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-02mar11-en.htm

ccNSO Review ? Final WG Report
The Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) Review WG submitted its draft final report PDF, 787 KB], for public comment on 15 November 2010. On date of closure, 15 January 2011, two comments had been provided, expressing full support for the report while adding useful precision on details and recent ccNSO developments.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-03mar11-en.htm

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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.AU Registry Finds Reseller and Registrar in Breach for Spamming
auDA, the .AU domain administrator, has recently found that a reseller for the NetRegistry Group, NetAlliance Pty Ltd trading as NetFleet, has breached the .au Domain Name Suppliers' Code of Practice (2004-04) by mass emailing 1,200 clients of another .AU drop catching service (Dark Blue Sea owned drop.com.au). The email addresses had apparently been collected from whois.
http://www.domainnamenews.com/up-to-the-minute/au-registry-finds-reseller-registrar-breach-spamming/8852

au: Domain Name Registration Tips
Some people believe that domain names are entirely the realm of technically-natured people ? but that is not totally correct. Granted that delegating website building and mail setup to a tech is understandable, domain name registration and domain name hosting are two separate areas of having an Internet presence.
http://blog.auda.org.au/2011/03/02/domain-name-registration-tips/

EU web name registrations up 6% to over 3.3 mln in 2010
The registry for the .eu TLD EURid reported a 6 percent year-on-year increase in .eu web address registrations in 2010, compared to 5 percent annual growth in 2009.
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/eu-web-name-registrations-up-6-to-over-33-mln-in-2010

jobs: Domain Drama Heats Up
The small business that manages the dot-jobs domain has been issued a breach-of-agreement notice by ICANN.
http://blogs.wsj.com/in-charge/2011/03/04/dot-jobs-drama-heats-up/

HKIRC launches Pre-launch Priority Registration of full Chinese .?? domain name for .hk domain name holders
Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Ltd (HKIRC) today announced that current English .hk domain holders will be offered priority to register for a full Chinese .??domain name free of charge during the Pre-Launch Priority Registration period from 22 February to 10 March, 2011. The newly registered Chinese .?? domain name will be bundled with the English .hk domain name. Customers are entitled to renew these two domain names together in the future for the price of one.
https://www.hkirc.hk/company_info/pressrelease.jsp?item=424

is: 20% increase in domain registrations
The number of new domains in february were 672 compared to 558 in february 2010, giving an increase of about 20%. The number of deleted domains were 225 compared to 200 in february 2010. The net increase in domains in february this year is about 447 domains compared to 358 in february 2010. This is a nice surprise for ISNIC and the Internet community in Iceland.
http://www.isnic.is/en/news/view/id/213

DotAsia to Support Macao Government in the Development of the ?.MO? Top-Level-Domain into a World-Class Registry
DotAsia Organisation is proud to announce its new venture in Macao to support the Macao government in the operation of the ?.MO? top-level-domain. DotAsia formed a joint venture with a local conglomerate in Macao to create HNET Asia (hnet.asia), which entered into a contract with the Macao government on 25 February 2011, to assume the operations of the ?.MO? registry beginning March 12, 2011.
http://dot.asia/pressreleases/DotAsia-MONIC-PR--20110303.pdf

nl: The.nlyst 2 is out now
The second edition of The.nlyst will be distributed to subscribers this week. The latest magazine has a special feature on ICANN, the organisation that is responsible for creating TLDs, assigning domain names and distributing IP addresses. The .nlyst is also available to download from this website.
https://www.sidn.nl/en/news/news/article/translate-to-english-thenlyst-2-beschikbaar/

RU-CENTER Domain Names Magazine - first time in English!
For the ICANN Meeting in San Francisco RU-CENTER has published English-language Domain Names Magazine Digest. The digest is composed of the materials that were included in Russian Domain Names Magazine, which has been published by RU-CENTER for several years. Being the only local printed edition on the domain theme, the magazine has a reputation of well-known, professional and competent product.
http://www.nic.ru/news/en/2011/dom_magazine.html

Extraordinary meeting of the Coordination Center for cctld .ru
On 2 March 2011 the CC Board held an extraordinary meeting which dealt with proposals on elimination of violations of domain names registration terms and conditions in IDN TLD .?? and the Accreditation Agreement, which were committed in the course of open domain names registration in IDN TLD .??. The CC?s Director, Andrey Kolesnikov, presented the proposals per the Board?s decision of 26 January 2011.
http://cctld.ru/en/news/news_detail.php?ID=1311

SGNIC signs MoU with APNIC
SGNIC and APNIC are pleased to announce that both parties have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 21 Feb 2011 to strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the two organisations and develop cooperation and collaboration in common interest of both parties.
http://nic.net.sg/news/sgnic-signs-mou-apnic

.uk short domains release update: Change of status for the domain name 3.org.uk
The domain name 3.org.uk was registered at the end of the Registered Rights Sunrise phase. Following registration, an objection was raised concerning the IP rights provided by the applicant for that domain. This objection has been upheld by CMS, our IP validation rights agency and the domain name has now been made available for registration during the Unregistered Rights Sunrise phase.
http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=8238

.uk policy update
We have received over 200 responses to the initial issue brief on Dealing with domain names used in connection with criminal activity. Thank you to everyone who submitted comments.
http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=8232

What?s Wrong with .XXX? ? Part four of a five-part series meant to help educate the adult industry about the dangers of .XXX sTLD
Is IFFOR Separate from ICM and Representative of the Adult Industry?... Bullshit!
http://news.avn.com/articles/What-s-Wrong-with-XXX-Part-Four-428351.html

ICM picks new sunrise partner for .xxx launch
ICM Registry has hired IP Rota, a new London-based company, to handle trademark validation in the sunrise periods of the forthcoming .xxx TLD.
http://domainincite.com/icm-picks-new-sunrise-partner-for-xxx-launch/

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 - NEW TLDS
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What did that letter from GAC to the ICANN Board actually say?
Observers at the last day of the ICANN GAC-Board meeting this week were surprised to hear about a letter sent the previous day by the GAC to the Board.
http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/03/04/gac-letter-to-board

Governments react to Brussels new TLDs meeting
ICANN?s GAC has issued an official Communique following its meeting with the ICANN board on new TLDs, which wrapped up on Wednesday.
http://domainincite.com/governments-react-to-brussels-new-tlds-meeting/

ICANN takes firm stance on new TLD delays
ICANN wants to draw a line under its talks with its GAC on new TLDs at the San Francisco meeting next week.
http://domainincite.com/icann-takes-firm-stance-on-new-tld-delays/

ICANN Tells Governments Where it Stands
Yesterday afternoon ICANN Chairman of the Board Peter Dengate Thrush sent an email to ICANN?s GAC summarizing where ICANN stands on GAC?s ?scorecard? of issues.
http://domainnamewire.com/2011/03/06/icann-tells-governments-where-it-stands/

Is .gay now safe from government blocking?
What are the chances of a .gay TLD being added to the internet, given the current state of play in the talks between ICANN and governments?
http://domainincite.com/is-gay-now-safe-from-government-blocking/

Governments to cause more delays to new TLDs?
The ICANN Board and the GAC met in Brussels for what was scheduled as a 2-day meeting but turned into a 3-day marathon on Feb 28, March 1 and 2.
http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/361-Governments-to-cause-more-delays-to-new-TLDs.html

ICANN vs. the World
A rose by any other name may smell just as sweet, but if that name is an Internet TLD, world governments may beg to differ.
http://techland.time.com/2011/03/05/icann-vs-the-world/

A year in domains by David Taylor, Hogan Lovells
One of the key ongoing developments is the progress being made in shaping the new gTLD initiative. This has major implications for brand owners across the globe, not least with regard to defining a suitable strategy to protect brands at the second level under potential new gTLDs such as .PARIS, .LONDON, .BERLIN, .BUD and .BLOG for instance.
http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=2a7eccbd-0731-4136-b926-63dc545e9e3f

Surprise! More new TLDs delay likely
The launch of ICANN?s new TLD program looks set to encounter more delays, after international governments said they needed more time for consultation and debate.
http://domainincite.com/surprise-more-new-tlds-delay-likely/

Part three of a five-part series meant to help educate the adult industry about the dangers of .XXX sTLD - Intellectual Property: Is .XXX good for your brand? ... or Bullshit! by Diane Duke, Free Speech Coalition Executive Director
At the 2010 ICANN conference in Cartagena, Columbia?some six years after first advancing its .XXX sTLD proposal?ICM finally outlined its proposal on Intellectual Property for .XXX domains. The proposal was distributed at a meeting that FSC Board Chair Jeffrey Douglas and I attended. ICM?s Stuart Lawley also was at that meeting, as was a representative of Valideus, Ltd., the entity chosen by ICM to implement what it calls its ?sunrise? rights protection mechanism.
http://news.avn.com/articles/What-s-Wrong-With-XXX-Part-Three-428104.html

What?s Wrong With .XXX? ? Part two of a five-part series meant to help educate the adult industry about the dangers of .XXX sTLD by Diane Duke, Free Speech Coalition Executive Director
ICM?s definition of the sponsorship community is: The TLD Community will consist of the responsible global online adult-enter?tain?ment community (?Community?), generally defined as: individuals, business, entities, and organizations that: (i) have voluntarily determined that a system of self-identification would be beneficial, (ii) have voluntarily agreed to comply with all IFFOR Policies and Best Practices Guidelines, as published from time to time on the IFFOR web site.
http://news.avn.com/articles/What-s-Wrong-With-XXX-Part-Two-427981.html

Wales calls on ICANN to unleash .cymru
Welsh deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones has complained about delays to ICANN's new generic TLDs programme, which are holding up a plan to offer citizens ".cymru" domain names.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/03/wales_domain_delays/

How will new TLDs affect your portfolio?
It was inevitable. The growth of the internet and the ever increasing number of people using the web, was going to cause a shortage in domain names.
http://domainincite.com/how-will-new-tlds-affect-your-portfolio/

Free website threat to Melbourne IT [sub req'd]
Investors have been warned that moves to help thousands of small businesses get online for free is likely to be bad news for domain name registrar Melbourne IT.
http://www.afr.com/p/business/technology/free_website_threat_to_melbourne_0zSLpcCoFdU9Wv5CmO9KWM

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Will the U.S. get an Internet ?Kill Switch??
In the past month we?ve seen two countries try to ?turn off? the Internet. On January 27, in Egypt, which had previously known few restrictions on Internet access (though, to be sure, intimidation of bloggers and activists was common), nearly all ISPs stopped delivering bits to their subscribers, even though data transiting Egypt from the outside world kept flowing normally. One Egyptian ISP, Noor, stayed up for a few days amidst speculation that it had been spared because major banks and the Egyptian stock exchange were subscribers; subsequently it went down, too. Internet access was then restored before the Mubarak government fell. In Libya, irregular nationwide outages lasting anywhere from a few minutes to seven hours have been occurring since the February 19.
http://futureoftheinternet.org/will-the-u-s-get-an-internet-?kill-switch?

Prices of cyber security firms soar [The Times]
THE price of cyber security firms has been pushed up to "ludicrous" levels by defence companies desperate to move into the fast-growing industry, one of its leading figures has warned. 
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/news/prices-of-cyber-security-firms-soar/story-e6frg90o-1226016906171

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Righthaven defendants respond; more copyright lawsuits filed
Four more website operators have filed court papers denying copyright infringement allegations leveled against them by Righthaven LLC over material allegedly reposted online from the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Denver Post.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/06/righthaven-defendants-respond-more-copyright-lawsu/

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Half Million Dollar Sale at Sedo - 2011's Biggest Deal to Date - Headlines This Week's Action in the Aftermarket
2011 has a new king of the hill, or should we say queen of the hill? GamesForGirls.com surged to the top of our Year To Date domain sales leader board, as well as this week's all extension Top 20 Chart, after changing hands at Sedo for a cool $500,000. That sale headlined a spectacular week for the popular aftermarket venue as they went on to sweep 15 of the 20 chart positions, including 8 of the first 10.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2011/20110302.htm

State of the Industry Too: Optimism Back in Style With Record Breaking Crowd at DOMAINfest Global
Last month we published our annual State of the Industry Cover Story in which 19 well-known domain business experts identified 2010's most important trends and predicted what lies ahead for us here in 2011.
http://dnjournal.com/cover/2011/february.htm

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INTERNET USE
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Opinion: Forget Google - it's Apple that is turning into the evil empire
Once upon a time, when Apple was mainly a computer manufacturer, people used to liken it to BMW. That was because it made expensive, nicely designed products for a niche market made up of affluent, design-conscious customers who also served as enthusiastic ? nay fanatical ? evangelists for the brand. It was seen as innovative and quirky but not part of the industry's mainstream, which was dominated by Microsoft and the companies making the PCs that ran Windows software. This view of Apple was summed up by Jack Tramiel, the boss of Commodore, when Steve Jobs first showed him the Macintosh computer. "Very nice, Steve," growled Tramiel. "I guess you'll sell it in boutiques."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/06/john-naughton-apple-dominates-market

Opinion: Thinner, faster, smarter? How Apple keeps us taking the tablets
On Wednesday Apple released the second version of the iPad. Pardon me while I yawn: I know it's rude to do it in public but what the hell? iPad 2 is thinner ? down from 13.4mm to 8.8mm, if you please. (Who was it who said that you can never be too thin or too rich?) It's faster too, courtesy of a dual-core A5 processor. And it's got two cameras, no less, one front and one back, plus a gyroscope. If that doesn't make your head spin, the news that iPad 2 is 15% lighter than its predecessor definitely will.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/mar/06/apple-ipad2-tablet-wars

The Footprints of Web Feet
Sharing and communicating are essential components of being human. But as celebrities like Britney Spears and Charlie Sheen have shown us lately, there is such a thing as over-sharing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/fashion/06Sharing.html

Brazil at heart of Google's Latin America strategy
Brazil is on the way to becoming Google Inc's sixth-largest global market, Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said on Friday as the company opens new offices in the fast-growing Latin American region.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/03/05/oukin-uk-google-idUKTRE7240A820110305
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/03/05/idINIndia-55344020110305

Google Schools Its Algorithm
To humans, computer intelligence is a puzzle, as if the machines have split personalities. They can be so remarkably smart at times, yet so bafflingly dumb at others.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/weekinreview/06lohr.html

Google Reorders Web's Winners
Google Inc. is creating a new set of winners and losers on the Web following its move to punish sites that it believed offered little useful information yet still ranked high in its search results.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704728004576176802178972510.html

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Facebook Is Said to Resume Talks With Skype on Video Calling
Facebook Inc., the world?s biggest social-networking company, is holding talks with Skype Technologies SA about offering Web video calls to its 500 million users, two people familiar with the discussions said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-05/facebook-is-said-to-resume-talks-with-skype-on-video-calling-partnership.html

Twitter Big on Smaller Advertisers
Twitter Inc. is a hot property among investors, who are pumping up the company's valuation. But whether the start-up can live up to its multibillion-dollar appraisal depends on the likes of David Szetela, who holds the purse strings of numerous small and medium-sized advertisers.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703409904576174711238036694.html

Social Networking Accounts for 1 of Every 4 Minutes Spent Online in Argentina and Chile
comScore ... released results from a study of the most popular online activities in Chile and Argentina. The study found that in both markets, Social Networking now accounts for more than one-quarter of all time spent online, ranking as the top activity in Chile (28.5 percent of total minutes) and the second most popular activity in Argentina (27.8 percent of total minutes). The study also looked at the top social networking destinations in these two markets and found that Facebook maintained a strong lead, reaching 9 out of 10 Internet users in January 2011.
http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2011/3/Social_Networking_Accounts_for_1_of_Every_4_Minutes_Spent_Online_in_Argentina_and_Chile

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Tablet Computer Demand Putting a Dent in PC Sales
On Wednesday, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs declared that the tech industry is in the "post-PC" device era as he introduced the iPad 2. A day later, a leading technology research firm gave credence to that assertion, cutting its PC shipment forecast and citing tablets as one of the reasons.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703300904576178381437662352.html

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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us: 14-year old child pornographers? Sexting lawsuits get serious
If a middle-aged man meets a 14-year-old girl, coerces her to film a 10-second clip of herself masturbating, then intentionally releases that clip on the Internet, the man could clearly be charged under US federal law against the ?sexual exploitation of children.? But what happens when the ?man? is a 14-year-old boy who the 14-year old girl likes? And what if the "coercion" to make the film is the boy's threat not to befriend the girl in their new high school without the video?
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/03/14-year-old-child-pornographers-sexting-lawsuits-get-serious.ars

Cyber bullying raises many questions for local school districts
In 1970, Buddy Hinton taunted Cindy Brady about her lisp on the Brady Bunch. Approaching her on the playground he would sing, "baby talk, baby talk, it's a wonder you can walk." In the ensuing decades, advancements in technology put sitcoms like The Brady Bunch in high definition and bullies like Hinton on the internet.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41905734

au: NBN may raise child porn risk: police
NEW services provided via the national broadband network could make it harder for the Australian Federal Police to track people downloading and sharing child pornography.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/nbn-may-raise-child-porn-risk-police-20110303-1bgf8.html
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/nbn-may-raise-child-porn-risk-police-20110303-1bgf8.html

The kids are online ? how to keep 'em safe
On Monday my 9-year-old daughter asked if she could borrow my iPad to do her music homework. She explained that her assignment was to listen to at least five minutes of classical music and her teacher had suggested the kids find something on YouTube.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41879702

au: Conroy's Big Red Help button comes to iOS, Android
The Federal Government has commissioned the development of iPad, iPhone and Android apps for its cybersafety help button, as well as a plugin for internet browsers.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/249970,conroys-big-red-help-button-comes-to-ios-android.aspx

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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au: Net pirate ruling may force ISPs to cut off cheats
Australian households now face the very real possibility of having their ISP disconnect or suspend them from the internet if they pirate films or music online.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/net-pirate-ruling-may-force-isps-to-cut-off-cheats-20110301-1bcr4.html
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/net-pirate-ruling-may-force-isps-to-cut-off-cheats-20110301-1bcr4.html

au: Nation of unrepentant pirates costs $900m
ALMOST 5 million Australians illegally downloaded films, television shows, music and other content online last year, a new study shows.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/nation-of-unrepentant-pirates-costs-900m-20110305-1bix5.html
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/nation-of-unrepentant-pirates-costs-900m-20110305-1bix5.html

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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us: Android Pulls Ahead in Smartphone Race, Report Says
The smartphone race is still raging, but who is winning might look different depending which question you ask. Is Google?s Android platform beating Apple?s iOS? Yes, and no.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/android-pulls-ahead-in-smartphone-race-report-says/

Android smartphones top iPhones, BlackBerries for first time
Android smartphones beat out iPhone and BlackBerry devices for the first time in the U.S. in the latest Nielsen survey conducted just prior to Verizon Wireless sales of the iPhone.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9213258/Android_smartphones_top_iPhones_BlackBerries_for_first_time_

Google's Android Spurs More App Jobs Than iPhone
Online job board Dice.com says its listings show demand for developers of Android applications has eclipsed the desire for Apple app developers
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2011/tc2011033_078030.htm

Android hit by rogue app viruses
More than 50 applications available via the official Android Marketplace have been found to contain a virus. Analysis suggests that the booby-trapped apps may have been downloaded up to 200,000 times.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12633923

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SPAM
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Germany identifies a secure way to deal with spam [IDG]
In theory, stopping spam is easy: just make it uneconomic to send millions of messages by charging for each one sent, or make senders authenticate their identity to stop address spoofing and simplify blocking. In practice, that would involve building a secure, parallel e-mail infrastructure linking electronic authentication with real-world identities: a daunting task. Yet that's just what Germany is about to do.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/030411-germany-identifies-a-secure-way.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/221382/.html
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/378788/germany_identifies_secure_way_deal_spam/

Robert Soloway Exits Prison, Disavows 'Spam King' Ways
America, beware. Robert Soloway is free to e-mail again. After three years, eight months and 27 days, Soloway ? the internet villain dubbed the ?Spam King? by federal prosecutors ? is allowed back online.
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/03/spam-king-robert-soloway/

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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Will the U.S. get an Internet ?Kill Switch??
In the past month we?ve seen two countries try to ?turn off? the Internet. On January 27, in Egypt, which had previously known few restrictions on Internet access (though, to be sure, intimidation of bloggers and activists was common), nearly all ISPs stopped delivering bits to their subscribers, even though data transiting Egypt from the outside world kept flowing normally. One Egyptian ISP, Noor, stayed up for a few days amidst speculation that it had been spared because major banks and the Egyptian stock exchange were subscribers; subsequently it went down, too. Internet access was then restored before the Mubarak government fell. In Libya, irregular nationwide outages lasting anywhere from a few minutes to seven hours have been occurring since the February 19.
http://futureoftheinternet.org/will-the-u-s-get-an-internet-?kill-switch?

Teenagers jailed for running ?16m internet crime forum
Three teenagers who founded and operated one of the world's largest English-language internet crime forums, described in court as "Crimebook", have been sentenced to up to five years in custody.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/02/ghostmarket-web-scam-teenagers

uk: Lord West urges email snooping crackdown
Ministers must do more to stop internet service providers (ISPs) snooping on private e-mails without consent, an ex-cyber security minister has said. Some ISPs have trialled software that intercepts and scans e-mails to target ads.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12618799

Anonymous defends hacking activity for greater good
For many, the 'hacktivist' group has become the face of the new cyber-war against oppressive governments and all-powerful corporates. Others say the group's actions are reckless.
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/americas/2011/03/201135165517786219.html

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CENSORSHIP
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Internet Access Blocked in Libya
Internet service was blocked in much of Libya, notably the capital city of Tripoli, making it difficult for people to plan or communicate Friday in the violence-torn country.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703580004576180750985273650.html

Internet traffic in Libya goes dark amid upheaval [AP]
Internet services in Libya, already spotty throughout the country's violent upheaval, appeared completely halted in an attempt to stifle information about the insurrection.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-traffic-in-libya-goes-dark-amid-upheaval-20110305-1bihj.html
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-traffic-in-libya-goes-dark-amid-upheaval-20110305-1bihj.html

China plans to track cellphone users, sparking human rights concerns
China said it may begin tracking cellphone users in Beijing through location technology it hopes will help city authorities better manage traffic. But the announcement also sparked fresh concerns that the government may be using mobile technology to surveil its residents.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2011/03/china_said_it_may_begin.html

China to fight traffic congestion by tracking mobiles
A Chinese government committee has announced plans to try to ease vehicle traffic congestion by monitoring the whereabouts and movement of millions of mobile phones.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20039059-245.html
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/networking/2011/03/04/china-to-fight-traffic-congestion-by-tracking-mobiles-40092022/
http://www.zdnetasia.com/china-to-track-cell-phones-for-traffic-reasons-really-62207369.htm

China Tightens Controls on Foreign Press
Apparently unnerved by an anonymous Internet campaign urging Chinese citizens to emulate the protests that have rocked the Middle East, Chinese authorities this week have begun a forceful and carefully focused clampdown on activities by foreigners that the government deems threatening to political stability.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/world/asia/04china.html

Cuba and the internet: The battle of the blogs begins
According to government figures, only 3% of Cubans frequently use the internet, making the communist island the least connected place in the Americas. Those that do require patience: according to an industry survey, Cuba?s dial-up internet access is the world?s second-slowest, after Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean. Under the guise of rationing the use of bandwidth, internet access is banned in most private homes and censored in offices.
http://www.economist.com/node/18285798?story_id=18285798

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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Web Video Rivalry Sparks U.S. Probe
The Justice Department is investigating whether a group representing some top technology firms is unfairly trying to smother a free rival technology for delivering online video that is backed by Google Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703752404576178833590548792.html

Firms blocking Web sales limit competition: EU court
A corporate policy of blocking sales over the Internet is "disproportionate," Europe's highest court wrote in an opinion on Thursday, a view that could have wide ramifications for how consumer products are sold.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/03/03/oukin-uk-court-internet-sales-idUKTRE7221UO20110303

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MISCELLANEOUS
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Inside the brain of WikiLeak's Julian Assange by Robert Manne: book extract
Julian Assange has told the story of his childhood and adolescence twice - most recently to a journalist from The New Yorker, Raffi Khatchadourian, and some 15 years ago, secretly but in greater detail, to Suelette Dreyfus, the author of a fascinating book on the first generation of computer hacking, Underground, for which Assange was the primary researcher.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/inside-the-brain-of-wikileaks-julian-assange/story-e6frg6z6-1226015754791

Assange's rage against the state by Robert Manne
The world's best-known 'cypherpunk' has long been on a mission to stop governments watching our every move. It is said to be the key to understanding WikiLeaks.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10710269

Assange 'hid his cypherpunk past'
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange carefully disguised his group's revolutionary ambitions and his "cypherpunk" origins behind a moderate, liberal public face, says writer Robert Manne in a new essay to be published today.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/assange-hid-his-cypherpunk-past/story-e6frg6nf-1226015589312

Google Cranks Up M&A Machine: Undaunted by Valuations, Deals Chief Says Will Continue to Pursue Start-Ups
Google Inc. doesn't seem daunted about acquisitions in the wake of its failure last year to land online coupon site Groupon Inc. Indeed, the Internet giant's deals chief plans to be very active, despite challenges that include soaring valuations for some Web start-ups.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704076804576180731106896822.html

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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Wales looks to take a lead in next-generation broadband
Wales has started the procurement process by which it plans to take the lead in super-fast broadband services that will be available in the UK. The country has ambitious plans to deliver a minimum speed of 30meg broadband to all businesses by mid-2016 and all households by 2020. This will put Wales on target for EU goals for next-generation broadband which require all households to be able to receive at least 30Mbps broadband by 2020, and 50% should connect at speeds of 100Mbps or above.
http://www.broadband-europe.eu/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?ItemID=773

us: Spectrum Debate Sparks Finger Pointing Among Industry Players
As Congress begins to weigh proposals aimed at freeing up more spectrum to meet the nation's growing demand for wireless broadband devices, groups that could be impacted by those policies are beginning to engage in a lot of finger pointing over which industries are making the most efficient use of their spectrum.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/03/spectrum-debate-sparks-finger.php

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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION
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es: Man arrested over web porn blackmail scam [AFP]
Spanish police have arrested a young man in the south of the country who blackmailed underage internet users in a nude picture scam.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10710651

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(c) David Goldstein 2011


 
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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 Flannery