Vint Cerf, "father" of internet says Obama best for net http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2008/oct/15/obama-net-neutrality-cerf-google Vint Cerf endorses Barack Obama and discusses the importance of net neutrality http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=O60x75K9Fgw Draft Applicant Guidebook for New gTLDs Available Soon http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-16oct08-en.htm Ombudsman Releases Annual Report http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-16oct08-en.htm Proposed new moderated Second Level Domain .health.nz ? Second Consultation http://dnc.org.nz/story/30322-29-1.html InternetNZ studies potential DNS attack cure http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/1A7C95E7989E3FD2CC2574E7000A9E38 Cybersecurity: Users, Other Groups Must Work Together [IDG] http://www.pcworld.com/article/152358/.html FBI warns of rising cybercrime threat http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39518856,00.htm Georgian cyberattacks suggest Russian involvement, say researchers http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9117439 Kentucky judge refuses to dismiss gambling domain name seizure http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=6240 Ky. judge allows gambling Web site case to proceed [AP] http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/10/17/ap5568640.html Kentucky May Kill Online Gambling Permanently http://www.pcworld.com/article/152403/kentucky_may_kill_online_gambling_permanently.html Joetheplumber.com the Buzz of the Day http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=6233 ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Internet Porn, ICANN, and Families: A Call to Action by Cheryl B. Preston [Journal of Internet Law] Abstract: Although ICANN technically does not regulate Internet content, its day-to-day decisions consistently influence not only the structure of the Internet, but its content as well. ICANN policies concerning the approval of Top Level Domains and Internationalized Domain Names, maintenance of the WHOIS database, treatment of common vehicles for abuse, and requirements governing speech, for example, have far-reaching implications. Among the ramifications are the potential for protecting children online now or in the future, stopping the flow of child pornography, thwarting predators and sex traffickers, and maintaining legitimate free speech policy. ... This Article addresses reasons why advocates for families, consumers, and safety interests have not yet stepped forward to fill the gap in the stakeholder representation at ICANN. It then discusses the makeup, history, and voting power of the current ICANN Non-commercial Users' Constituency (NCUC), and the positions taken by the NCUC and its officers in policy debates. It explores the basis and implications of these positions, including the principle of "Net Neutrality." It compares this principle with the traditional parameters of the right to free expression. Finally, it urges a more robust and balanced discussion of competing rights and interests in the ICANN forum. This Article concludes with recommendations for ICANN to respond to the narrowness of the non-commercial stakeholder representation. It suggests (1) considering further the reasons for keeping separate the NCUC and the At-large Advisory Committee; (2) using ICANN's travel support funding to encourage wider participation of groups and individuals representing the breadth of user interests; (3) developing integration and training programs; (4) maintaining standards for rotating officers and appointments; as well as (5) materially assisting in the revision of the stakeholder structure. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1285270 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Kenya yet to fully address Internet governance issues [IDG] Kenya has yet to fully address its legal, infrastructure, access, content and security issues, according to a report released Tuesday at the Kenya Internet Governance Forum (IGF). http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/10/16/kenya-yet-fully-address-internet-governance-issues http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/101608-kenya-yet-to-fully-address.html http://www.cio.com/article/455174/Kenya_Yet_to_Fully_Address_Internet_Governance_Issues Vint Cerf, "father" of internet says Obama best for net "My Name is Vint Cerf, I'm a Scientist and I am Voting for Barack Obama". Why? Principally because of net neutrality. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2008/oct/15/obama-net-neutrality-cerf-google Vint Cerf endorses Barack Obama and discusses the importance of net neutrality http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=O60x75K9Fgw Vint Cerf backs Obama for U.S. president Vint Cerf has come out in support of Barack Obama for United States president. In a YouTube video he recorded, Cerf, Google's chief Internet evangelist, said he was supporting Obama primarily because of the Democratic candidate's position on Net neutrality. http://news.cnet.com/8301-10787_3-10067289-60.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Draft Applicant Guidebook for New gTLDs Available Soon In the next two weeks, in the lead up to ICANN?s Cairo public meeting, the new gTLD Applicant Guidebook, also called the ?draft Request for Proposal (RFP)?, will be released. This document will provide information to applicants wanting to apply for a new gTLD. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-16oct08-en.htm Ombudsman Releases Annual Report ICANN's Ombudsman has released his report for 2008. The report is an annual stocktake of the office and outlines how it has helped individuals and organizations with disputes come to resolution while avoiding formal processes like the courts. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-16oct08-en.htm Explosion of new domain names presents risks for online brands On November 1, ICANN will meet in Cairo, Egypt to discuss the introduction of new TLDs (gTLD), current examples in use are .com, .net, and .biz. http://www.itnewsafrica.com/?p=1473 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** .Asia: A Gateway for European SMEs to Enter Lucrative Asia Market DotAsia Organisation announces partnership with Web2Asia to launch the GoingEast.Asia survey. The survey targets SMEs (Small/Medium Enterprises) and Internet businesses worldwide, on their expansion plans for Asia. http://dotasia.org/pressreleases/DotAsia-PR-2008-10-13_EN.pdf More than 100,000 .br domain names become available this weekend This Saturday (October 18) Nic Brazil will free more than 100,000 domains being available for registration by any eligible registrants. http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/10/16/more-than-100000-br-domain-names-become-available-this-weekend/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/more-than-100-000-.br-domain-names-become-available-this-weekend.html Letter from "Registre Internet Fran?ais" (DAD Deutscher Adressdienst GmbH) For the last few months, the AFNIC has received letters from users that were contacted by an entity that calls itself "Registre de l?Internet Fran?ais" (French Internet Registry). http://www.afnic.fr/actu/nouvelles/202/letter-from-registre-internet-francais-dad-deutscher-adressdienst-gmbh.html is: Addendum to the upcoming regulation change Following the announcement of .IS domain rules to change 29th October, the ISNIC Board has made an additional modification. The modification will remove fully the requirement for an Icelandic agent, ID number or a registered agent. However, we expect domestic registrations to include ID numbers for legal reasons and tax purposes. http://www.isnic.is/news/index.php MYNIC Workshops Are On Again! DNS servers are essential network infrastructure that maps domain names to IP addresses, directing Internet inquiries to the appropriate location. It is used in all interactions with names and identifiers such as World-Wide Web, electronic mail, and many more. The DNS has become an important element that people depend on when moving about on the Internet. It is a core part of the Internet infrastructure and secure DNS mappings are necessary to create a trusted Internet environment. http://mynic.net.my/readnews.php?id=77 Proposed new moderated Second Level Domain .health.nz ? Second Consultation Previously, comment has been sought on a proposal for a new moderated second level domain, .health.nz. As a result of seeking comments on the application, ten submissions were received. These can be read at http://dnc.org.nz/health-application. The submissions identified some issues with the Ministry of Health's initial moderation policy which were discussed with them. As a result, the moderation policy has been revised, and a further round of consultation is now taking place. http://dnc.org.nz/story/30322-29-1.html Why dotPDX... Short video with testimonials from residents of Greater Portland discussing why they'd like to see a .pdx top level http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=OWpKgQZNF3c .tel domain to integrate with iPhones and Blackberries & Windows Telnic, the company behind the .tel top level domain launching in December and billed as "a new communications 'hub' for individuals and businesses that...will enable secure sharing of contact information and true personalisation of online services" is releasing beta versions of applications for BlackBerries, iPhones and Window -based PCs that will enable address books to be dynamically updated with information stored in a .tel owner's domain. http://www.itwire.com/content/view/21228/53/ Telnic Launch Developer Centre and Offer Free Downloads As the countdown towards launch day for .tel comes closer Telnic is ramping up its activities. This morning Telnic are officially launching their developer centre, which offers a number of applications, source code and documentation to help developers build on the .tel platform. http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/10/15/telnic-launch-developer-centre-and-offer-free/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** InternetNZ studies potential DNS attack cure New Zealand?s domain name system is unlikely to be protected by digital signatures in the near future, despite moves in the US and elsewhere to implement protocols to make this happen. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/1A7C95E7989E3FD2CC2574E7000A9E38 $300 Million Annual Loss Due to Non-Cooperation in Fight Against Phishing During a presentation today at the eCrime Researchers Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, security researchers revealed that average lifetime of malicious websites are often longer than they should be due to lack of communication and cooperation between security vendors. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081016_non_cooperation_fight_against_phishing/ Cybersecurity: Users, Other Groups Must Work Together [IDG] Individual Internet users, businesses, the government and tech vendors all need to focus more on cybersecurity and be aware of the dangers, a group of cybersecurity experts said Thursday. http://www.pcworld.com/article/152358/.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/10/16/Cybersecurity_Users_other_groups_must_work_together_1.html http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;1237344190 http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1237344190 FBI warns of rising cybercrime threat The threat of cybersecurity attacks from organised criminals, terrorists and foreign governments is increasing, an FBI official warned on Wednesday. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39518856,00.htm Georgian cyberattacks suggest Russian involvement, say researchers The hackers who launched cyberattacks against the former Soviet republic of Georgia two months ago probably had links to the Russian government, even though no hard evidence has been uncovered of official involvement, a report by an all-volunteer group of experts said today. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9117439 http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;446005914 http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;446005914 DDoS Attack Graphs from Russia vs. Georgia's Cyberattacks by Dancho Danchev Part of Georgia's information warfare campaign was aiming to minimize the bandwidth impact on its de-facto media platforms such as the website of their Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I've just received a report on "Russian Invasion of Georgia," titled "Russian Cyberwar on Georgia" which is quoting me on page 4 regarding "too good to be courtesy of Russia's cyber militia" creative that appeared on the defaced Georgian President's website. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081016_graphs_russia_georgias_cyberattacks/ Internet-scale 'man in the middle' attack disclosed In Black Hat's October Webinar on Thursday, Anton Kapela, datacenter manager at 5Nines Data, spoke about Internet-scale "man in the middle" attacks. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10068327-83.html Election Deception: The Web's 12 Dirtiest Tricks If scammers have things their way--with the help of a dozen sneaky ploys--plenty of ballots will never make it to the boxes. ... 2. Web Site Wiles: Some scammers have adopted the strategy of orchestrating Web site-based attacks. These may take the form of actual hacks--remember the Obama-Clinton redirect exploit back in April?--but more commonly they involve creating an independent site whose URL suggests affiliation with a candidate or organization but whose content dishonestly promotes a hostile agenda. http://www.pcworld.com/article/152290/election_deception_the_webs_12_dirtiest_tricks.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Kentucky judge refuses to dismiss gambling domain name seizure A Franklin County Circuit Court judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit that sought to block access to more than 140 online casinos in Kentucky. However the judge will hear arguments on 17 November before deciding whether the Kentucky state government will be allowed to take control of 141 gambling-related domain names for some of the most popular gambling websites. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=6240 http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/10/17/kentucky-judge-refuses-to-dismiss-gambling-domain-name-seizure/ Ky. judge allows gambling Web site case to proceed [AP] A Franklin County Circuit Court judge refused Thursday to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to block access to more than 140 online casinos in Kentucky. http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/10/17/ap5568640.html http://www.kentucky.com/471/story/558040.html Kentucky judge gives online gambling sites 30 days to block access Judge Thomas Wingate has given 141 online gambling sites 30 days to block access to Kentucky residents. If the sites in question -- which include industry giants Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, Bodog and Golden Palace ? have "reasonably established to the satisfaction of the Kentucky's Justice and Safety Cabinet or this Court that such geographical blocks are operational, (they) shall be relieved from the effects of the Seizure order and from any further proceedings in the instant civil forfeiture action," said Wingate in his 43-page ruling. http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article.cfm?contentID=175492 Kentucky May Kill Online Gambling Permanently The state of Kentucky's attempt to block resident's access to 141 online gambling sites has proceeded to the next level, as a Franklin County Circuit Court judge refused Thursday to dismiss the case. http://www.pcworld.com/article/152403/kentucky_may_kill_online_gambling_permanently.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101701403.html ICA Response to Kentucky Seizure Ruling ... ?The Internet Commerce Association is extremely disappointed in the decision issued by the Court this afternoon. This is a dangerous decision not just for domain name investors and developers but for all who value commerce and free speech on the Internet. http://www.internetcommerce.org/ICA_Response_to_Kentucky_Seizure_Ruling Are Domain Names Considered Property or Not? I was up late last night cruising through the 44 page docket from the case involving the 141 gambling domain names seized by the state of Kentucky. This is a landmark case in my opinion and I wanted to read some of the fine print. It?s pretty clear that this case will be setting some major precedent regarding jurisdiction and domain name use, but there was something else that caught my eye in the document. The groups involved in the case made several points in their efforts to have the case dismissed, but a discussion on domain names being considered property is the one that made me look twice. http://www.domainnamenews.com/legal-issues/are-domain-names-considered-property-or-not/2917 Kentucky Court Affirms Seizure of 141 Gambling Domain Names & the ICA Response Judge Thomas Wingate's Ruling today in the matter of the Commonwealth of Kentucky vs. 141 Internet Domain Names has dismissed all objections brought by representatives of the 141 Internet domain names subject to seizure and forfeiture to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. This was the result of an order issued by the same court late last month that DomainNews has been reporting on. http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/kentucky-court-affirms-seizure-of-141-gambling-domain-names-the-ica-response.html Kentucky Court Affirms Seizure of Poker Domain Names A Kentucky Circuit Court judge has dismissed all objections brought by representatives of as many as 141 Internet domain names subject to seizure and forfeiture to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the result of an order issued by the same court late last month. Many of the domain names listed as being subject to seizure are connected with major US-facing poker sites, including PokerStars, Full Tilt, UltimateBet, Doyle's Room, Absolute Poker and others. http://www.pokernews.com/news/2008/10/kentucky-domain-seizure-upheld.htm Kentucky Judge Rules: Forfeit Gambling Domains WebProNew has just received the 44-page order and opinion from Franklin County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate regarding the seizure of 141 online gambling domain names. Like China, Kentucky is now trampling on the freedoms of the citizens of the Commonwealth by blocking domains that are legal in most parts of the world. http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/10/16/kentucky-judge-affirms-forfeiture-of-gambling-domain-names Kentucky Judge Upholds State's Right to Seize Gambling Sites A Kentucky judge today moved not to deny the state the right to seize the domain names of 141 Internet gambling sites, despite motions filed by gambling associations, gaming websites, and even individual poker players to block the move. http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-law/article/5308/kentucky-judge-upholds-states-right-to-seize-gambling-sites Opinion and Order in Kentucky Online Gambling Domain Case (In Its Entirety) Edward Leyden, President of The Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association, on Thursday declared "We are going to fight like Hell". He referred to the appeals that will be filed in both a Federal and Kentucky state court related to a dangerous decision handed down in a Frankfort Circuit Court Thursday. http://www.gambling911.com/gambling-news/opinion-and-order-kentucky-online-gambling-domain-case-its-entirety-101608.html Kentucky Online Gambling Domain Case Pushes on After Judge's Ruling Online gambling operators will have to wait longer to find out if they will be allowed to retain their domain names. Judge Thomas Wingate ruled against various requests that the case be dismissed. http://www.casinogamblingweb.com/gambling-news/gambling-law/kentucky_online_gambling_domain_case_pushes_on_after_judge_s_ruling_49356.html Kentucky Judge Does not Dismiss Internet Gambling Case The long-awaiting internet gambling ruling in Kentucky was passed down on Thursday. The case pits the owners of 141 internet gambling domain names against the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Around 4:30pm ET on Thursday, Judge Thomas Wingate issued a ruling denying motions filed by the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC) and Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) to dismiss the case. Instead, a final forfeiture hearing was scheduled for November 17th at 10:00am. http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/kentucky-judge-does-not-dismiss-internet-gambling-case-565/ ICA Issues Statement on Kentucky Court Ruling Internet Commerce Association blasts court decision. If you haven?t already heard, the case brought by Kentucky against owners of domain names related to gambling will proceed. The judge announced today that he will not throw out the case. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/10/17/ica-issues-statement-on-kentucky-court-ruling/ Cyberwar between Sunnis and Shi'ites A cyberwar is raging between Sunni and Shi'ite hackers. The Arab television transmitter Al-Arabiya reports that some 1200 web sites have been targeted by attacks over the last three weeks. They include the web site of Al-Arabiya itself, up to now the most prominent victim of these cyberattacks, which are evidently motivated by tensions between the two Islamic religious sects. http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/117462 'MLS' name dispute lands in court A dispute over a Realtor's use of "MLS" in his Web site address, which already has been reviewed by two arbitration panels, has erupted into a lawsuit in federal court. http://www.inman.com/news/2008/10/16/mls-name-dispute-lands-in-court Mxit.co.za is transfered Recently an SAIIPL adjudicator made a decision that the disputed mixit.co.za domain name be transferred to Mxit Lifestyle (Pty) Ltd. http://zadna.org.za/documents/Decision_ZA2008_0020_0ct13.pdf [decision] http://zadna.org.za/documents/Decision_Notification_oct13.pdf [decision notification] ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Al-Qaeda Web Forums Abruptly Taken Offline Four of the five main online forums that al-Qaeda's media wing uses to distribute statements by Osama bin Laden and other extremists have been disabled since mid-September, monitors of the Web sites say. ... Rapid changes in domain-registration information and in servers suggested that the sites' webmasters were working intently to bring the forums back up, according to a statement from the SITE Intelligence Group, a leading private monitor of Web sites of extremist groups. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101703367.html Google Profiting From Typo Squatting, Report Charges Google is profiting from millions of typo-squatting websites that earn advertising from Google's Adsense advertising program, Harvard University professor Ben Edelman says. http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/10/google-profitin.html Software provides uniform domain registry French open source software house Dot and Co has just released version 0.92 of Net::DRI. Net::DRI offers a uniform interface for numerous domain registries and registrars, making the connection to the various registration systems slightly more practical ? whether they use the old Registry Registrar Protocol (RRP) or its successor Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP). The company itself also acts as a registrar for such domains as .fr, .eu or .ws. http://www.heise-online.co.uk/open/Software-provides-uniform-domain-registry--/news/111729 Mailbox name in Chinese will come into effect Recently, the Internet international standard-setting organization IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) officially issued three core criteria of the international e-mail address (E-mail name of the mother tongue): RFC5335, RFC5336 and RFC5337. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6516241.html Coming in 2009: Yourname§somewhere.?? The era of online domination by the Roman alphabet will come one step closer to its end next year when a new top-level domain for China, .??, is deployed. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13908_3-10068081-59.html RIPE NCC Membership Surveys The RIPE NCC regularly conducts member surveys to get feedback from members about the organisation's services and activities. The information gathered enables us to evaluate our current operations and plan for future services and developments. Member surveys are conducted by a third party to ensure anonymity. http://ripe.net/membership/survey/ ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Joetheplumber.com the Buzz of the Day It seems a rule of thumb in this day and age is when you have your 15 minutes of fame, make sure you have the relevant domain name registered. This would have been a great idea for "Joe the Plumber" (aka Joe Wurzelbacher) who now quite infamously questioned Barack Obama on the campaign trail about his tax policies this week and subsequently mentioned more than 20 times in the latest presidential debate. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=6233 http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/joetheplumber.com-the-buzz-of-the-day.html http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/10/16/joetheplumbercom-the-buzz-of-the-day/ Internet abuzz with Joe the plumber Joe the plumber from Ohio may have been the real star of the final US presidential debate, but it was an unrelated Texan who might yet reap the major financial dividends.One of the first links in search results leads to joetheplumber.com, but the site is not connected with Wurzelbacher in any way. Instead, the page is owned by Joe Francis of Amarillo, Texas. The Dallas Morning News reported that Francis was out elk hunting this week but his office manager, Ronnie Bishop, had been swamped with calls all day. Francis was reportedly considering one offer of $US800,000 to buy the joetheplumber.com domain name. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/10/17/1223750299721.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/10/17/1223750299721.html Domain name suddenly worth $900,000 JoethePlumber.com ? a Web address that had not gotten a single hit during the previous six months ? logged nearly 400,000 in the 24 hours following this week?s presidential debate. http://www.northjersey.com/news/nationalpolitics/Domain_name_suddenly_worth_900000.html Counting Clicks: Now A Mainstay - Visitor Data May Be Key To Surviving Downturn In 1999, eyeballs were all the rage. It was the height of the frothy dot-com days, when start-up business models hinged on luring enough people to a free Web site to someday sell advertising on it. Measuring those eyeballs, no matter how much they were worth, looked like an obvious gold mine. "A 10 percent jump in traffic would cause stock prices to skyrocket," said Magid Abraham, who took that cue and started Web-measurement firm ComScore. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/19/AR2008101901390.html Weak Week in the Aftermarket - The Question is Why? The past week in the domain aftermarket was the slowest we've seen this year. At first glance one might quickly conclude that the reason for that was the shocking meltdown in the general economy that led the U.S. Congress to pass a $700 billion bailout package for Wall Street. However at the same time that was going on, domain buyers at the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference in New York were spending almost $4 million in live auctions and nearly $1 million more in a Moniker online auction associated with the show. That is a lot of money to suck out of the market in one week so it wouldn't be surprising if a lot of those buyers entered this week tapped out. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2008/domainsales10-14-08.htm Cold.Com Domain Name To Be Auctioned, US$1 Million Minimum Bid [news release] Cold.com will be auctioned in late November with a minimum acceptable bid of US$1 million, announced Patent Kinetics, LLC, an intellectual property strategy, evaluation, and brokerage company. http://cold.com/pmwiki.php UD.com Top of the List for Sedo Last Week UD.com was the biggest Sedo sale last week selling for a very cool US$99,000. Other .com $50K+ sales were machineryzone.com ($52K) and breaks.com ($50K). On the ccTLD front, gay.nl was the big seller this week selling for ?15,000 (~$20,000) followed by basketball.fr (?12,000/~$16,300) and then a .my (Malaysia) domain, with domain.my selling for $16,000. http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/10/16/udcom-top-of-the-list-for-sedo-last-week/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/ud.com-top-of-the-list-for-sedo-last-week.html Overseeing the Domain Name World A visit with domain giant Oversee.net in its L.A. headquarters shows how the domain world is growing up. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/10/17/overseeing-the-domain-name-world/ ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Broadband Growth and Policies in OECD Countries [146p] Broadband plays a critical role in the workings of the economy and society. It connects consumers, businesses, and governments and facilitates social interaction. Hence, broadband policies are now a vital instrument to ensure the competitiveness of OECD countries and to address pressing societal concerns. http://www.oecd.org/document/1/0,3343,en_2649_34223_40931201_1_1_1_1,00.html http://browse.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/pdfs/browseit/9308021E.PDF Public Strategies for Internet Co-Regulation in the United States, Europe and China by B. Frydman, L. Hennebel & Gregory Lewkowicz [GOVERNANCE, REGULATIONS AND POWERS ON THE INTERNET] Abstract: This paper studies the framework for Internet regulation in the United States, Europe and China. Focusing on co-regulatory mechanisms, it analyses the legal tools used by governments in order to entrust private 'points of control' to monitor Internet. It focuses more specifically on the impact of co-regulation on the rule of law and on the emergence of a transnational struggle for law between global players. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1282826 Internet Kiosks in Rural India: What Influences Success? by Jake Kendall & Nirvikar Singh Abstract: In this paper we investigate an example of a very widely applied model for the delivery of IT services to rural and poor populations. The model is one where limited intervention to support infrastructure and coordinate resources is combined with market-based delivery of IT services to the end user (what we call here the "sustainable franchise model"). Though this model has been deployed world-wide by governments, NGOs, and development institutions in the past few years, there has been little research into the determinants of success in such a model. In this paper we examine the example of n-Logue, a franchise of over 1000 locally-owned, Internet kiosks in rural villages in India. We seek to assess how this new sustainable franchise model has worked in practice by analyzing data from 74 of n-Logue's kiosks. Among other things, we find that gender and education do not affect success, while location and other measures of social standing (age and caste) do. We also find that the uses that villagers have for IT services are not so different from those which first world users have. The lessons we draw from this example are that while local customs and practices must be taken into account (e.g. the caste system), it is not a foregone conclusion that social biases (e.g. against women) cannot be mitigated by good program design. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1282266 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Google searches high and low for answer to Prince Philip's query during royal visit The bright young things at Google no doubt thought that they had got everything covered when the Queen visited their London HQ yesterday. The exciting new products were all up and running, and the staff had all rehearsed their presentations until they were word-perfect. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4956260.ece Queen visits Google - and is amused by YouTube video of laughing baby boy The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were reduced to a fit of giggles when they toured the London headquarters of Google and were shown a YouTube video of a laughing baby boy. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/3210566/Queen-visits-Google---and-is-amused-by-YouTube-video-of-laughing-baby-boy.html Queen Elizabeth II Visits Google's British HQ She sent her first e-mail in 1976. She has her own Web site. And on Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II uploaded video to YouTube during a visit to Google's British headquarters. http://nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-EU-Britain-Queen-Google.html Google uses Britain as gambling guinea pig Bookmakers and online casinos will be able to advertise on Google in Britain, the world's most popular internet search engine, from today. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/google-uses-britain-as-gambling-guinea-pig-964291.html Google reverses policy to allow gambling adverts Google will allow gambling advertising to appear on its search pages in mainlaind Britain, reversing its decision last year to ban such adverts out of ethical considerations. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4956603.ece Google relies on "old" media for content Google says it wants "old" media to remain robust so it can continue generating searchable content. Karim Temsamani, the Australian and NZ general manager of the world's largest internet search engine, told a Trans-Tasman Business Circle lunch yesterday there was a symbiotic relationship between the online and offline media. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24512589-7582,00.html Technology Keeps American Families Close, Study Says Parents and children may rush through their days in different directions, but the American family is as tight-knit as in the last generation -- or more so -- because of the widespread use of cellphones and the Internet, according to a new poll. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/19/AR2008101901346.html The Internet is no 21st-century boob tube ... "We were surprised to see that lots of families treat the Internet as a place for shared experiences," Tracy Kennedy, author of a new report about the survey called "Networked Families," said in a statement. "They don't just withdraw from the family to their own computer for private screen time. They pretty regularly say, 'Hey--look at this!' to others in the household." http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10067378-93.html In Targeting Online Ads, Campaigns Ask: Who's Searching for What? A day after Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin winked playfully during the recent vice presidential debate, the number of people typing "palin wink" into the Google search engine surged, rising to No. 3 on the service's list of newly popular queries. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/15/AR2008101503574.html Wealthy Asians use phones to blog, take photos - study For wealthy Asians, mobile phones and Blackberrys are much more than a way to stay in touch, with a survey finding portable communication devices increasingly being used to watch videos, take pictures and surf the Web. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-35996920081016 http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE49F2AY20081016 Australian Tax Office eyes eBay traders The Australian Tax Office is conducting a sting on unscrupulous eBay users who attempt to avoid paying tax on income earned through the site. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/10/17/1223750288543.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/10/17/1223750288543.html Man killed wife in Facebook row A man has been jailed for life for stabbing his wife to death over a posting she made on the social networking site Facebook. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7676285.stm Counting Clicks: Now A Mainstay - Visitor Data May Be Key To Surviving Downturn In 1999, eyeballs were all the rage. It was the height of the frothy dot-com days, when start-up business models hinged on luring enough people to a free Web site to someday sell advertising on it. Measuring those eyeballs, no matter how much they were worth, looked like an obvious gold mine. "A 10 percent jump in traffic would cause stock prices to skyrocket," said Magid Abraham, who took that cue and started Web-measurement firm ComScore. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/19/AR2008101901390.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Social networking sites told to warn users of weak privacy controls [AFP] Social networking websites were urged Friday to warn users about the low level of protection given to their profiles at a Council of Europe-organised conference on the issue. http://news.smh.com.au/technology/social-networking-sites-told-to-warn-users-of-weak-privacy-controls-20081018-53dz.html http://news.theage.com.au/technology/social-networking-sites-told-to-warn-users-of-weak-privacy-controls-20081018-53dz.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** EU may cut maximum volume on MP3 players Volumes on personal stereos are likely to be restricted by regulators because of fears that MP3 players and ?in-ear? phones are damaging hearing. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article4958503.ece EU warns of permanent hearing damage from iPods "Listening to personal music players at a high volume over a sustained period can lead to permanent hearing damage," according to an opinion delivered by the EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR). http://euractiv.com/en/infosociety/eu-warns-permanent-hearing-damage-ipods/article-176379 Was software responsible for the financial crisis? Amid all the fallout from the financial turmoil, one group has yet to feel the accusing finger of blame: the analysts who built the computer software that drove the derivatives markets that, in turn, drove the financial collapse. Since the Big Bang of the 1980s, large amounts of stocks and shares - and derivatives of them - have been traded automatically by computers rather than by humans. These so-called "algotrades" accounted for as much as 40% of all trades on the London Stock Exchange in 2006; on some American equity markets the figure can be as high as 80%. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/16/computing-software-financial-crisis How Microsoft will compete with 'free' Guest post: Jean-Louis Gass?e explains how Microsoft's future business model will borrow from both Apple and Google to compete with the free world of software. The essay was originally posted on Monday Note. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13953_3-10069777-80.html ********************** SPAM ********************** Did the HerbalKing Takedown Decrease Spam? It?s been four days since the Federal Trade Commission got an Illinois court to shut down the infamous HerbalKing spam network. The agency, and the anti-spam research organizations that aided it in the investigation, predicted that spam levels would drop as a result. So today we wondered: have they? http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/did-the-herbalking-takedown-decrease-spam/ Trio facing first anti-spam civil court action Spam has been the bane of computer users throughout the world, and international authorities are pointing the finger at New Zealanders for playing a large part in it. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10538067 Spammer in Australia could be fined millions A Sunshine Coast man could face multi-million-dollar fines if he is found to have contravened Australia's internet spamming laws. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/17/2393722.htm Woman is first to plead guilty in notorious spam case A woman accused of helping spam kingpin Alan Ralsky send out tens of millions of unwanted email messages each day has pleaded guilty to spam charges. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/204628BEB101BFFBCC2574E4000D0591 China Still A Top Email Spam Location A new mail spam report from Commtouch says China is a top location for zombie IP addresses. http://www.chinatechnews.com/2008/10/17/7758-china-still-a-top-email-spam-location/ Spam business is booming despite legislation Ferris Research recently predicted that there would be 40 trillion spam messages sent this year. It would seem then, that we have a continuing problem on our hands, especially since spam has morphed from simple, but annoying, advertisements to Trojan horses and links to malware-infected web sites. The focus of spam has changed. Five years ago, spam was designed to sell us something; today, it is designed to steal something from us. Spam is no longer just a cheap tool used by a two-bit marketer to peddle get-rich-quick schemes; it is now used by organized criminals in pump-and-dump stock schemes, to sell illegal goods, or to steal passwords and account numbers. http://www.itworld.com/security/56208/spam-business-booming-despite-legislation ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Broadband for all homes considered by ministers The possibility of connecting every home in Britain to a broadband fast internet service is to be examined by ministers, amid concerns that offline families are missing out on financial and educational benefits. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article4965272.ece Uganda's rural poor get internet The spread of the Internet to Uganda?s rural areas has sparked off excitement among residents giving them hope for future flourishing businesses through communication with the outside world. http://www.itnewsafrica.com/?p=1475 http://allafrica.com/stories/200810150274.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Link between child porn and Muslim terrorists discovered in police raids A link between terrorism plots and hardcore child pornography is becoming clear after a string of police raids in Britain and across the Continent, an investigation by The Times has discovered. Images of child abuse have been found during Scotland Yard antiterrorism swoops and in big inquiries in Italy and Spain. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4959002.ece Dangerous and depraved: paedophiles unite with terrorists online For some, the internet is merely a hiding place ? a web of secret corridors where all manner of shameful deeds unfold. But the police never expected that it might become a strategic platform where two groups of society's outcasts, terrorists and child sex abusers, could meet to exchange operational secrets. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4958674.ece Terrorists 'use child porn' to exchange information It is thought Islamist extremists are concealing messages in digital images and audio, video or other files. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3215115/Terrorists-use-child-porn-to-exchange-information.html Al-Qaeda Web Forums Abruptly Taken Offline Four of the five main online forums that al-Qaeda's media wing uses to distribute statements by Osama bin Laden and other extremists have been disabled since mid-September, monitors of the Web sites say. ... However, "the downside of knocking jihadist Web sites offline is that you lose the ability to monitor jihadist activities," eliminating opportunities for Western monitors to search for ideological weaknesses or clues to future operations, Marquardt said. "When these Web sites are taken offline, it closes an important window." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101703367.html Internet police catching up with outlaws One of the great claims about the internet has always been that it doesn't respect borders. John Perry Barlow, in his "declaration of cyberspace independence" ? written way back in 1996 ? claimed that national governments couldn't hold sway against the determined electrons of cyberspace: "Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. You have neither solicited nor received ours," he wrote. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/17/spam-internet Internet phone calls are crippling fight against terrorism The huge growth in internet telephone traffic is jeopardising the capability of police to investigate almost every type of crime, senior sources have told The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4951864.ece Cybersecurity: Users, Other Groups Must Work Together [IDG] Individual Internet users, businesses, the government and tech vendors all need to focus more on cybersecurity and be aware of the dangers, a group of cybersecurity experts said Thursday. http://www.pcworld.com/article/152358/.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/10/16/Cybersecurity_Users_other_groups_must_work_together_1.html http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;1237344190 http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1237344190 FBI warns of rising cybercrime threat The threat of cybersecurity attacks from organised criminals, terrorists and foreign governments is increasing, an FBI official warned on Wednesday. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39518856,00.htm Georgian cyberattacks suggest Russian involvement, say researchers The hackers who launched cyberattacks against the former Soviet republic of Georgia two months ago probably had links to the Russian government, even though no hard evidence has been uncovered of official involvement, a report by an all-volunteer group of experts said today. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9117439 http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;446005914 http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;446005914 DDoS Attack Graphs from Russia vs. Georgia's Cyberattacks by Dancho Danchev Part of Georgia's information warfare campaign was aiming to minimize the bandwidth impact on its de-facto media platforms such as the website of their Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I've just received a report on "Russian Invasion of Georgia," titled "Russian Cyberwar on Georgia" which is quoting me on page 4 regarding "too good to be courtesy of Russia's cyber militia" creative that appeared on the defaced Georgian President's website. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081016_graphs_russia_georgias_cyberattacks/ Internet-scale 'man in the middle' attack disclosed In Black Hat's October Webinar on Thursday, Anton Kapela, datacenter manager at 5Nines Data, spoke about Internet-scale "man in the middle" attacks. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10068327-83.html Election Deception: The Web's 12 Dirtiest Tricks If scammers have things their way--with the help of a dozen sneaky ploys--plenty of ballots will never make it to the boxes. ... 2. Web Site Wiles: Some scammers have adopted the strategy of orchestrating Web site-based attacks. These may take the form of actual hacks--remember the Obama-Clinton redirect exploit back in April?--but more commonly they involve creating an independent site whose URL suggests affiliation with a candidate or organization but whose content dishonestly promotes a hostile agenda. http://www.pcworld.com/article/152290/election_deception_the_webs_12_dirtiest_tricks.html FBI says Dark Market sting netted 56 arrests [IDG] A two-year undercover FBI sting operation targeting online fraudsters has netted 56 arrests and prevented millions of dollars in economic losses, the FBI said Thursday. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/101608-fbi-says-dark-market-sting.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/152389/fbi_says_dark_market_sting_netted_56_arrests.html FBI wipes out online credit card ring The FBI has announced that it has concluded a two year investigation into an online market for stolen credit card data behind millions of dollars of fraud. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2228489/fbi-wipes-online-credit-card Fraudsters' website shut in swoop A website used by criminals to buy and sell credit card details and bank log-ins has been shut down after a police operation, the BBC has learned. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7675191.stm Handsets to become crime targets The risk of spam and viruses that attack mobile devices is set to rise, says a report. Security experts suggest current risks are small, and that attacks will take the same form as PC spam and scams. End-user protection like anti-virus software is not yet mature in the mobile market, so the issue is being addressed by the network operators. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7675882.stm nz: Woman conned out of $258 warns TradeMe users to be wary An Auckland woman is warning TradeMe users to be wary of online scammers, after being conned in an online auction. When the TradeMe user, who asked not to be named, bought a brand new 3G cellphone for $258 last week, she thought she was getting a bargain. http://www.3news.co.nz/ScienceTech/Story/tabid/412/articleID/76348/cat/73/Default.aspx Bank hackers steal from French President bank account The French government was forced to admit that no one was safe from internet fraud yesterday after it emerged that thieves had managed to hack into President Nicolas Sarkozy's personal bank account and siphon off cash. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/20/nicolassarkozy-hacking ************************** PRIVACY ************************** New powers for UK state snoopers on the net The government is drawing up plans to give sweeping new powers to the security and intelligence agencies, and other public bodies, allowing them to access personal data using a wide range of internet sites, including social and gaming networks, Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, signalled yesterday. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/16/internet-uksecurity UK government faces fight from within for spy database Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, faces a revolt from her senior officials over plans to build a central database holding information on every telephone call, e-mail and internet visit made in the UK. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4969361.ece Social networking sites to be snooped on by security services Social networking websites will be snooped on by the security services under new powers which campaigners fear will lead to an expansion of the "Big Brother" state. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3203583/Social-networking-sites-to-be-snooped-on-by-security-services.html Telecom Spying Amnesty Unconstitutional, EFF Tells Court The government's attempt to give retroactive immunity to the companies that helped the Bush administration's warrantless spying program violates the Constitution by ripping from the courts the power to hear citizens' grievances against the government, a rights group told a federal court Thursday. http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/10/telecom-spying.html EFF, ACLU slam carrier immunity law [IDG] A U.S. law that allows telecom carriers to receive immunity in some suits alleging illegal government surveillance is unconstitutional, two civil rights groups argued late Thursday. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9117444 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/101708-eff-aclu-slam-carrier-immunity.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/152432/eff_aclu_slam_carrier_immunity_law.html Watchdog Group Takes On Telecom Immunity Law A digital-rights advocacy group is challenging a controversial law that granted immunity to telecom providers that participated in the government's domestic surveillance program. http://www.internetnews.com/government/article.php/3779006 EFF Challenges Constitutionality of Telecom Immunity in Federal Court [news release] The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Thursday challenged the constitutionality of a law aimed at granting retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in the president's illegal domestic wiretapping program. http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/10/17 British government gives more detail on communications surveillance plan The Government has postponed planned legislation which could create a giant central database containing records of every email, web session and phone call made in the UK. http://out-law.com/page-9515 ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Facebook eyes digital-music business Social networking site Facebook's founder and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg plans to enter the digital-music business in the wake of the launch of News Corp's MySpace Music last month, the New York Post said. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-36021120081017 http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE49G2EJ20081017 http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-eyes-digitalmusic-business-965126.html Legal music downloads gain in popularity Fewer people are downloading music from the internet illegally than ever before, according to a report this week from Entertainment Media Research. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2008/10/16/dldownload11.xml Internet Congestion: ISPs Don Traffic Cop Uniforms Anyone who's used popular P2P applications such as BitTorrent, Gnutella or Limewire has probably been plagued by network slowdowns that make sharing heavy media files a time-consuming endeavor. However, a consortium of technologists at the Distributed Computing Industry Association has found a way to alleviate Internet network congestion created by P2P applications. In fact, this new technology will soon exit the testing phase. There's just one problem: Broadband providers such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T may be shy about actually implementing it. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/64861.html RIAA appeals mistrial in file-sharing case The Recording Industry Association of America is appealing a judge's decision last month to declare a mistrial in the case of Jammie Thomas, who was ordered to pay the recording industry $222,000 for allegedly sharing music online. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10068547-38.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Creationist gets Turkish newspaper website blocked The website of Turkey's third largest-selling newspaper has been blocked after a complaint by an Islamic creationist. Turkish internet users are now denied access to the Vatan newspaper's website, gazetevatan.com, after a court decided it had insulted Adnan Oktar, a prolific Turkish writer who disputes the theory of evolution. It is believed to be the first major newspaper site to be blocked. About 850 sites are already filtered. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/17/turkey-religion China watches over internet caf? customers in web crackdown All visitors to internet caf?s in Beijing are to be required to have their photographs taken in a stringent new control on the public use of cyberspace. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article4958778.ece China press freedoms due to end Rules that gave foreign reporters greater freedom during the Beijing Olympics are due to expire. China has not yet said whether they will be extended, scrapped or replaced by a new set of regulations. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7675306.stm Say Cheese: Photos Now Mandatory When Entering All Beijing Internet Cafes The Beijing government has launched an enhanced Internet cafe monitoring rule which states that people who visit Internet cafes for the first time need to have their picture taken and have their identification cards scanned. http://www.chinatechnews.com/2008/10/17/7767-say-cheese-photos-now-mandatory-when-entering-all-beijing-internet-cafes/ China urged to extend media freedoms domestically China should extend media freedoms it now offers foreign reporters to domestic journalists too, rights groups said, but added that the signs were not encouraging this would happen. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE49G26V20081019 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Spy software to combat online paedophiles Scientists are developing a computer program that can identify paedophiles who pretend to be children on the internet. The technology analyses language and syntax used online, and can tell if an adult is masquerading as a child as part of the victim "grooming" process. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/3222257/Spy-software-to-combat-online-paedophiles.html 'Net filters "required" for all Australians, no opt-out Australians may not be able to opt out of the government's Internet filtering initiative like they were originally led to believe. Details have begun to come out about Australia's Cyber-Safety Plan, which aims to block "illegal" content from being accessed within the country, as well as pornographic material inappropriate for children. Right now, the system is in the testing stages, but network engineers are now saying that there's no way to opt out entirely from content filtering. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081016-net-filters-required-for-all-australians-no-opt-out.html Oz watchdogs howl over 'Cyber-Safety' net filter Aussie civil liberties watchdogs are warning the country's "Cyber-Safety" internet filter plan won't actually let adults choose to opt-out from web censorship. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/17/australia_cyber_safety_no_opt_out/ And the Wankley Award goes to ... Conroy's net filtering scheme Won't someone think of the adults? Australia?s march to a Chinese censorship regime took a interesting turn this week when new details emerged on the Rudd Government?s Great Firewall of Australia internet filtering scheme. http://www.crikey.com.au/Media-Arts-and-Sports/20081017-And-the-Wankley-Award-goes-to-Conroys-net-filtering-scheme.html Watch for online bullying, but don't overreact, expert advises: Internet safety It's an understandable reaction for parents who didn't grow up in a wired generation -- they find out a bully is targeting their child over the Internet, so they yank out the computer, Clemson University psychology professor Robin Kowalski said. But Dr. Kowalski, an expert on cyber bullying, urged against that during a lecture Friday at Augusta State University. Don't punish the victim, she said. http://psycport.com/showArticle.cfm?xmlFile=knightridder_2008_10_18__0000-0410-AG-Watch-for-online-bullying-but-don-t-overreact-expert-advises-1018.xml What's Next In Online Safety As part of Cyber Security Awareness Month, I spoke at a panel at the National Press Club to discuss "what's next" in online safety, looking at emerging threats and challenges we may experience down the road. I was joined by the chair of our FOSI board - Brent Olson, AT&T assistant vice president of Regulatory Policy, who discussed some of the industry initiatives AT&T is leading to protect kids online and by Internet and privacy lawyer Christopher Wolf who spoke about the privacy concerns tied to online safety. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-balkam/whats-next-in-online-safe_b_135416.html Web content 'disturbing children' Three out of four children have seen images on the internet that disturbed them, an NSPCC poll suggests. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7679119.stm us: ISPs are pressed to become child porn cops New technologies and changes in U.S. law are adding to pressures to turn Internet service providers into cops examining all Internet traffic for child pornography. One new tool, being marketed in the U.S. by an Australian company, offers to check every file passing through an Internet provider's network ? every image, every movie, every document attached to an e-mail or found in a Web search ? to see if it matches a list of illegal images. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27198621/ ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** uk: Ofcom to have wider remit with more online powers, says David Currie Outgoing Ofcom chairman David Currie has said that his successor should expect the communications regulator to have an expanded remit with responsibility for stricter control over internet content. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/15/ofcom-digitalmedia Faster broadband the goal of all parties in NZ election Fast, affordable broadband-for-all is a common goal of all political parties in this election. All also recognise that Telecom is not going to deliver such a service anytime soon. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10537950 Credit crunch makes digital strategy more critical, says Carter The new government minister in charge of a string of vital decisions about Britain's media and technology industries has claimed that the importance of securing their future has increased due to the global financial crisis. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/20/digitalmedia-digitaltvradio-ofcom-creditcrunch Stephen Carter to prepare UK digital action plan The new minister for communications, technology and broadcasting, Stephen Carter, is to create a wide-ranging "action plan" for the digital media economy that could include greater regulation for the internet. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/17/digital-media-stephen-carter us: New law regulates Internet drug sales A new law that regulates online pharmacies promises to give federal regulators, Internet companies and the medical profession a new weapon to stop the illicit flow of addictive drugs. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/10/17/Internet_pharmacy_law.ART_ART_10-17-08_C12_SUBKEQK.html ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Google's profit rose 26 percent despite slower growth Third-quarter profit increased 26 percent to $1.35 billion, a strong showing that might be enough to reassure jittery investors. http://iht.com/articles/2008/10/16/technology/17google.php Google?s Net (and Stock) Rise Sharply For months, Google has promised investors that the company?s online advertising system would do relatively well in an economic downturn. On Thursday, it showed evidence that it may be able to deliver on that promise. http://nytimes.com/2008/10/17/technology/companies/17google.html Google defies the crunch as profits soar Google, the world's biggest internet company, offered a glimmer of hope amid global financial gloom, after revealing that profits during the third quarter of the year had soared 26 per cent. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article4959323.ece Yahoo! Boo hoo! More bad news for the struggling internet giant, this time from Japan Ever since Yahoo! rejected Microsoft?s offer of $31 a share in February, its fortunes have only worsened. Growth in internet advertising, Yahoo!?s main source of revenue, is slowing as the economy sours. An alliance with its main rival, Google, has been put on hold while antitrust regulators study the deal. Its share price has lately fallen below $13. The brightest treasure in Yahoo!?s empire has long been its Japanese arm, in which it has a 34% stake. It dominates its lucrative local market and reported increased revenue and profit on September 30th for the year to March. But even this jewel is losing its sparkle. http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12432448 ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** InternetNZ publishes stage 1 of broadband strategy report [sub req'd] New Zealand internet advocacy group InternetNZ has published stage 1 of a commissioned broadband strategy report. http://telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=640969 http://telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=234413 NZ Government pushes on with Tasman cable plans The government is pushing ahead with its broadband plans even as the election looms, with expressions of interest being sought to build new trans-Tasman cable and announcements about a well-supported Broadband Investment Fund first round. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/EE4BBE464F007C27CC2574E7000A61EA Satellites? Are they nuts? A new satellite-broadband system hopes to succeed where others failed Making a big, risky investment in these turbulent times might seem a bit daft. And investing in a satellite-broadband project sounds dafter still: billions were lost on similar projects during the 1990s. So why would investors in O3b Networks, a start-up based on the island of Jersey, put ?500m ($680m) into another such system?and one which depends on finding customers in the world?s poorest regions? http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12437783 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Mobile phones increase risk of cancer, study says Mobile phones do increase the risk of brain cancer, an international team of scientists have warned. The finding is the result of the biggest ever study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organisation. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/health/3208416/Mobile-phones-increase-risk-of-cancer-study-says.html Mobile phones may cause rashes People who use their mobile phones for long periods could develop an allergic skin rash, health experts said yesterday. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/oct/17/mobilephones-health Doctors warn of rash from mobile phone use Doctors baffled by an unexplained rash on people's ears or cheeks should be on alert for a skin allergy caused by too much mobile phone use, the British Association of Dermatologists said on Thursday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE49F6TS20081016 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-36004520081016 British will need passports to buy mobile phones Everyone who buys a mobile telephone will be forced to register their identity on a national database under government plans to extend massively the powers of state surveillance. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4969312.ece Worldwide mobile penetration to hit 95% by 2013, firm claims Mobile penetration rates will increase to 95% by 2013 from 46% in 2008, according to a new survey of 34 emerging markets by pricing and tariffs research firm Tariff Consultancy. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/mgmt/FBC69286AC4FE940CC2574E400758A35 AT&T Wants More Web-Enabled Devices Want to track Fido using GPS? Frame a new photo for grandma in real time? AT&T has created a new division within the company to help devise new consumer devices ? digital cameras, devices for cars, even dog collars ? which they hope will make it easy to access the Web using AT&T?s network. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/att-wants-more-web-enabled-devices/ Nokia suffers 30% profits fall Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, missed market expectations this morning as it reported a 30% fall in profits. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/oct/16/nokia-telecoms Next-gen mobile tools arrive as more smart phones hit the market Applications and tools for mobile workers such as sales personnel and technicians continue to grow in number and complexity as the number of new smart phones and other handhelds grows. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9117318 A Look at Google's First Phone The Google phone is real, and it?s finally here. Stand clear of popping corks. Actually, to be completely accurate, there isn?t anything called ?the Google phone.? You can?t buy ?the Google phone,? any more than you can buy ?the Windows PC.? Google makes the software (called Android), and it?s up to the phone manufacturers to build cellphones around it. http://nytimes.com/2008/10/16/technology/personaltech/16pogue.html http://iht.com/articles/2008/10/16/business/ptpogue16.php Android: An upsell attempt for Google services Android may be a freely available open-source operating system, but Google hasn't shied away from the idea that it hopes to profit by subsidizing its development. And with Google's first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1 built by HTC, nigh upon us, it's becoming clearer exactly how. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10068042-93.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** nz: Ex-ambulance boss admits child porn charges A former Rotorua St John Ambulance area manager admitted possessing thousands of child pornographic images. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10538307 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David §yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (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 Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.comReceived on Sun Oct 19 2008 - 20:31:50 UTC
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