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://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** EU posts online consultation results on "Internet of Things" by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/2/4/4081101.html Mexico City Meeting Schedule Published http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-06feb09-en.htm ICANN Applicant Guidebook Video Update http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-05feb09-en.htm German Internet Body Asks ICANN to Declare New gTLDs Status http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7260 Confirmed: new gTLD fees will be changed http://domainesinfo.fr/english/253/confirmed-new-gtld-fees-will-be-changed.php 800,000 .at Domain Names Registered http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7253 DNS.BE Cancels 163 Domains Due to Fraudulent Use http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/dns.be-cancels-163-domains-due-to-fraudulent-use.html 14 Million .cn Domain Names http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7254 Swedish Businesses Prefer .SE Domains http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/02/08/swedish-businesses-individuals-prefer-se-domains/ 10 Registrars Responsible for 83% of Spam Websites http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7242 Top 10 Spam-friendly Registrars Named and Shamed [IDG] http://www.pcworld.com/article/159058/.html The Top 10 Internet Registrars Hosting Spammers, Illicit Sites http://www.darkreading.com/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=213201931 Sedo's Secondary Domain Market Study 2008 Shows ccTLDs in Demand but .com Still Rules http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7241 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** EU posts online consultation results on "Internet of Things" by Milton Mueller Europe is very interested in the Internet of the future, having ceded to the United States so much of the standards and governance of the Internet of the past. A September 29, 2008 European Union staff working paper, ?Early Challenges to the Internet of Things,? shot some policy concerns across the bow. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/2/4/4081101.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Mexico City Meeting Schedule Published The schedule for the upcoming meeting in Mexico City on 1-6 March is now published on the Mexico City Meeting Website. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-06feb09-en.htm Proposed Global Policy for Remaining IPv4 Address Space - Final Call for Comments and Background Report On 4 February 2009, the Chair of the Address Supporting Organization Address Council forwarded a Proposed Global Policy for Remaining IPv4 Address Space, for ratification by the ICANN Board. Essentially, the proposal states that each Regional Internet Registry, RIR, be allocated one /8 IPv4 address block when the IANA free pool of IPv4 address space reaches five remaining /8 blocks. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-05feb09-en.htm Applicant Guidebook Video Update A video update on the Applicant Guidebook and the overall new gTLD process has been posted. The update features CEO Paul Twomey, COO Doug Brent and Senior Vice President Kurt Pritz talking through where the process for introducing new generic top-level domains currently rests, and what the path forward will be. It also provides a brief summary of the comments received in the first round of public comment on the Applicant Guidebook and gives some details of changes that will be made as a result of those comments. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-05feb09-en.htm Video update to the Applicant Guidebook process So, no doubt you have all been wondering what exactly ICANN and its staff have been up to over January with respect to the Applicant Guidebook and the reams of comments covering the new generic top-level domain process. http://blog.icann.org/2009/02/video-update-to-the-applicant-guidebook-process/ Community Comment Invited on GNSO Constituency Confirmation Documents At the direction of the ICANN Board, the six existing constituencies of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) have submitted documents that are intended to demonstrate their compliance with the principles of representativeness, openness, transparency and fairness set forth in the ICANN Bylaws. All members of the ICANN community are now invited to review those submissions and share comments and observations with the Board through 25 February 2009. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-04feb09-en.htm Public Comment: More Detailed Expense Reporting This month?s ?dashboard? includes new reporting on ICANN?s expenses. These reports will periodically show ICANN?s expenses in the different functions as outlined in the operating plan . The impetus for this new set of reports is in response to the community?s desire to see expenses presented in ways that clearly show how ICANN is spending on activities related to the Operating Plan. We welcome your comments on how helpful these reports are as well as how they may be improved in the future. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-02feb09-en.htm Rome Presentations Published On 22-23 January 2009, ICANN hosted its European registry/registrar regional gathering in Rome, Italy. The regional gathering model was introduced as a means to broaden participation in the ICANN process by the growing number of registrars and to create an opportunity for ICANN staff to provide updates on issues that affect gTLD registries and ICANN-accredited registrars such as contractual compliance, GNSO policy activities and registrant protection initiatives. In the interest of transparency, the presentations are being made public and this will become regular practice. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-02feb09-en.htm German Internet Body Asks ICANN to Declare New gTLDs Status Eco, the German ISP and internet industry association, has written to ICANN questioning the new gTLD process due to questions arising from members and German business on the same day ICANN has posted a video Applicant Guidebook Update. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7260 http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/02/08/german-internet-body-asks-icann-to-declare-new-gtlds-status/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/german-internet-body-asks-icann-to-declare-new-gtlds-status.html A Field Guide to the ICANN Reforms by Milton Mueller Important changes are taking place in ICANN?s representational structures. They are the most sweeping changes in ICANN since the so-called ?evolution and reform? process of 2001-2. The new changes will directly affect opportunities for people to participate in ICANN ? hopefully in a more positive way. Indeed, there are some (potentially) good things about the planned reforms, such as a more balanced representation of commercial and noncommercial users and more flexible working group structures. But there are also serious problems and dangers in this effort. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/2/6/4083962.html House Judiciary Committee Plans ICANN Oversight On January 27, 2009 the House Committee on the Judiciary adopted a wide-ranging plan for oversight to be conducted by it during the new, 111th Congress. As described below, they plan to delve into ICANN matters at the full Committee level, chaired by Representative John Conyers (D-MI). The Committee?s inquiry will be based upon its jurisdiction over intellectual property and criminal law and is entirely separate from inquiries that may be conducted by the Commerce Committee, which has general oversight over the Commerce Department and ICANN. http://www.internetcommerce.org/node/161 Confirmed: new gTLD fees will be changed In a new video posted on the ICANN website yesterday, confirmation is given that the next version of the Draft Applicant Guidebook (DAG) will feature several changes, including "changes in fees paid by gTLD registry operators". http://domainesinfo.fr/english/253/confirmed-new-gtld-fees-will-be-changed.php Big-Name Firms Wary Of Potential Changes To Web Domains Big brand owners like Marriott, Nike and Verizon are gearing up for a battle in Congress and the Commerce Department over sweeping changes to the way top-level domains, such as .biz, .info, and .us, are assigned. http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/cda_20090204_3128.php The 9 New Mega-Opportunities of 2009 From an eastward shift of talent to a new universe of Internet domains, the world is changing. Branding expert and E-Commerce Times contributor Naseem Javed identifies what he sees as the top nine mega-opportunities of 2009 and offers some tips for taking action. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/66077.html Paul Twomey Q&A at Davos ICANN CEO Paul Twomey talks about the internationalism of the Internet during the Davos summit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKt--rgoLiY ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** 800,000 .at Domain Names Registered There are now more than 800,000 .at (Austrian ccTLD) domain names, with the landmark being passed in January 2009. The achievement is quite remarkable for a small country with a population of 8.2 million, but no doubt achieved in part due to the lack of a requirements of registrants to have a physical presence in Austria. A factor that no doubt restricts the total number of registrations in several ccTLDs. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7253 http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/02/08/800000-at-domain-names-registered/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/800-000-.at-domain-names-registered.html .at domain names hit 800,000 The number of internet addresses in the ".at" domain exceeded 800,000 for the first time last month. http://austriantimes.at/index.php?id=11050 at: Number of .at domains grows past 800000 milestone [sub req'd] The number of .at domain names grows at around 10 percent per year and reached the 800000 milestone in January of this year http://www.telecompaper.com/news/ DNS BE withdraws 163 .be domain names By order of the responsible magistrate, more than 160 domain names used for fraudulent purposes were cancelled yesterday by DNS BE, the Belgian registration body for all .be domain names. http://www.dns.be/en/home.php?n=431 DNS.BE Cancels 163 Domains Due to Fraudulent Use DNS.BE cancelled 163 domain names last week by order of a magistrate, following their use for fraudulent purposes. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/02/08/dnsbe-cancels-163-domains-due-to-fraudulent-use/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/dns.be-cancels-163-domains-due-to-fraudulent-use.html To .BE or not to .BE This just in from DNS BE, the Belgian registration body for all .be domain names. DNS BE cancelled 163 domain names being used for fraudulent purposes yesterday. The ?responsible magistrates? got a hot tip that several .be domain names were used in a fast flux hosting scheme and were redirecting to phishing websites. http://www.namesmash.com/?p=224 14 Million .cn Domain Names The extraordinary increase in the number of .cn registered domain names continues unabated, with the number set to pass the 14 million mark in February going by previous monthly increases. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7254 http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/02/08/14-million-cn-domain-names/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/14-million-.cn-domain-names.html Holland's innovative take on local presence Country code TLDs often have some kind of local presence requirement. To be eligible for a .FR domain for example, you need an address in France. Local presence rules may be seen by some as an unnecessary hurdle but on the other hand, is it really that unreasonable to expect that a country's TLD be truly representative of that country? http://domainesinfo.fr/english/252/holland-s-innovative-take-on-local-presence.php nz: Domain names hit by slump It's not just the sharemarket that's shrinking. The number of expired websites with domain names registered in New Zealand has jumped dramatically in the past year, as the recession bites and companies shut. http://www.businessday.co.nz/industries/telco_it/4838849 Record-breaking .se addresses Never have so many .se domain names been registered as in 2008. At year-end, the number of active .se domain names totaled 834,000. It is clear that .se is the obvious choice for most companies. According to a report published by Statistics Sweden titled Use of computers and the Internet by companies in 2008, 88 percent of all companies with more than ten employees that have a domain name select .se addresses and six of ten private individuals choose .se over other top-level domains. http://www.iis.se/about/press?id=183 Swedish Businesses Prefer .SE Domains With more than 834,000 .se domain names registered, Statistics Sweden has published a report titled Use of computers and the Internet by companies in 2008 that shows 88 percent of all companies with more than ten employees that have a domain name select a .se domain and six out of ten private individuals choose .se over other top-level domains. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/02/08/swedish-businesses-individuals-prefer-se-domains/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/swedish-businesses-individuals-prefer-.se-domains.html Welcome to the biggest innovation since .com Telnic Limited announced that Landrush ? the period where anyone can purchase any available .tel domain name with no auctions and no extensive reserve list ? opens at 3.00 p.m. GMT, enabling people to invest in the quickest way to monetize the internet ever. http://telnic.com/downloads/Domainer_Landrush_Launch.pdf tel: Memory strain a by-product of hi-tech age Keeping in touch has never been easier - or more exhausting. The average person now has more than seven points of contact including landline phone, mobile, email and online social networks to remember, a survey has found. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/feb/08/communications-technology-memory .tel domain names to go on sale .tel domain names are all set to go on sale. http://news.techwhack.com/9853-.tel Dublin.tel Grabbed By Lantec During the sunrise period for .eu domains there was quite a bit of controversy, as a number of high profile names were grabbed by companies that had no legitimate right to them. http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2009/02/01/dublintel-grabbed-by-lantec/ uk: A Storm in a Teacup or a Perfect Storm? by Lesley Cowley We've had snow storms recently in the UK, so there is much talk about storms. It strikes me that some might view the current issues at Nominet as a storm in a teacup?a small event that has been exaggerated out of all proportion. Not unsurprisingly, I don't agree. I think that the storm has already had a significant effect on Nominet and it could well have far reaching implications for both Nominet and our Registrars. I do hope (but I'm not sure) that all involved would agree that our current governance model and all that it entails needs to change in some way in order to reflect the role that we have and the environment that we operate in. The independent governance review is due shortly, so we're waiting to see how much change is recommended. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090205_nominet_storm_in_teacup_or_perfect_storm/ http://blog.nominet.org.uk/insight/2009/02/a-storm-in-a-teacup-or-a-perfect-storm/ uk: Renewals changes and registrar dashboard Nominet has released an upgrade to our systems that implements the next stage of changes to our renewals process. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=6082 uk: Renewals reminder emails Nominet has introduced a new domain name renewal reminder programme. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=6083 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** The fog of cyberwar As Kyrgyzstan reels from a sustained cyberattack, Danny Bradbury asks whether it was a show of strength from Russia, or whether the perpetrators are closer to home http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/feb/05/kyrgyzstan-cyberattack-internet-access Porn site feud spawns new DNS attack [IDG] A scrap between two pornographic Web sites turned nasty when one figured out how to take down the other by exploiting a previously unknown quirk in the Internet's DNS. http://techworld.com.au/article/275585/ http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/275585/ http://computerworld.com.au/article/275585/ http://www.cio.com.au/article/275585/porn_site_feud_spawns_new_dns_attack http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/275585/ ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Power scorned and power lost reveals the best side of Kentucky Two different courts ruled two different ways on whether the state could seize 141 Internet domain names just because those sites happen to take people to gambling Web sites. Gov. Steve Beshear apparently thinks the state can ignore the private-property rights and due process of the owners of these domain names. http://www.georgetownnews.com/articles/2009/02/07/opinion/doc498cbeed5eb35425149267.txt ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Countdown to IPv6 - it?s time to plan for migration Questions surrounding Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) have been debated for the past decade, beginning with when and why to deploy. The network address space problem on the Internet, which IPv6 is expected to solve, also has been disquieting for organisations planning ahead for their future network growth. http://linuxworld.com.au/article/270907/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** 10 Registrars Responsible for 83% of Spam Websites 83% of illicit websites, that is those websites advertised through spam, can be traced back to just ten domain name registrars, according to a study released by Knujon (?no junk? backwards) this week. A further seven per cent can be attributed to the next ten registrars on Knujon?s list. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7242 http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/02/05/10-registrars-responsible-for-83-of-spam-websites/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/10-registrars-responsible-for-83-of-spam-websites.html Top 10 Spam-friendly Registrars Named and Shamed [IDG] When it comes time for spammers to register their Internet domain names, some companies are more popular than others. http://www.pcworld.com/article/159058/.html http://www.itworld.com/internet/62168/top-10-spam-friendly-registrars-named-and-shamed http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9127498 http://techworld.nl/idgns/5907/top-10-spam-friendly-registrars-named-and-shamed.html http://www.computerworlduk.com/management/online/e-business/news/index.cfm?newsid=13229 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/020609-top-10-spam-friendly-registrars-named.html http://www.cio.com/article/479513/Top_Spam_Friendly_Registrars_Named_and_Shamed The Top 10 Internet Registrars Hosting Spammers, Illicit Sites Antispam organization KnujOn today released a new list of the top 10 Internet registrars hosting spam, abuse, and other nonlegitimate activity, and the No. 1 registrar has ties to the Waledac botnet that researchers say is the new and improved Storm. http://www.darkreading.com/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=213201931 'Spam-friendly' domain registrars named and shamed The vast majority of spam (83 per cent) is linked to sites established through ten domain name registrars, according to a new study. An analysis of junk mail messages by anti-spam firm Knujon ("no junk" spelled backwards) found that while there are 900 accredited domain name registrars, spammers register their spamvertised domains though only a tiny sample. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/05/spam_registrars/ Just 10 registrars responsible for 83% of all spam Research results indicate that the vast majority of malware flows out from a mere handful of registrars, but convincing these organizations to cut the sewer flow is a tricky proposition. http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2009/02/data-shows-83-percent-of-spam-flows-from-just-ten-registrars.ars VeriSign Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2008 Results VeriSign, Inc. reported financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2008. On a GAAP basis, VeriSign reported revenue of $247 million from continuing operations for the fourth quarter of 2008. On a GAAP basis, VeriSign reported consolidated net income of $39 million and earnings per share of $0.20 on a fully-diluted basis. https://press.verisign.com/easyir/customrel.do?easyirid=AFC0FF0DB5C560D3&version=live&prid=471912&releasejsp=custom_97 Buying the domain name of a bankrupt company We are hearing about more and more companies going bankrupt in these hard financial times so domain names held by these companies may come on the market in the near future. Trademark domains may be off the table but some of these companies may hold generic domains. So how do you go about finding and buying such a domain name? http://www.domaininformer.com/guides/General_Information/articles/090205Buyingthedomainnameofabankruptcompany.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Sedo's Secondary Domain Market Study 2008 Shows ccTLDs in Demand but .com Still Rules Sedo?s second annual Secondary Domain Market Study released this week says there has been ?continued growth in demand for premium domains in 2008. Valuable online real estate yielded $77 million in revenue, and resulted in an overall eight percent sales increase over the 2007 total of $72 million? even though there were fewer sales in the final quarter of 2008 due to the financial crisis. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7241 http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/02/05/sedo-secondary-domain-market-study-2008-shows-cctlds-in-demand-but-com-still-rules/ Domain Buyers Still Picking Up Low to Mid Range Names But High Ticket Items Stay on the Shelf Continuing a trend we saw develop in 2008, high end domain sales remain few and far between while small business end users dominate aftermarket activity with four-figure and low five-figure purchases. All of the reported sales over the past seven days were well under the $50,000 mark. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2009/01-27-09.htm The Lowdown on Sedo's 2008 aftermarket study Sedo has just released a detailed study of the 2008 domain aftermarket. As one of the world's largest aftermarket sales platforms Sedo has unique insight into what buyers were looking for over the past year. Though domain sales dropped precipitously over the closing months of 2008 Sedo said its final sales total of $77.4 million represented an 8% rise over 2007. http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2009/dailyposts/02-04-09.htm How's the German domain name market? Gut. Sales of pre-owned domain names ending in the German extension ? .de ? were up 43% in 2008, according to a study on the secondary domain market released Wednesday by Sedo, an online marketplace for domain names and Web sites. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/020409-german-domain-name-market.html http://nytimes.com/external/idg/2009/02/04/04idg-Hows-the-Germa.html Sedo Releases 2008 Domain Name Market Study Sedo has released its 2008 Secondary Domain Market Study, and it provides a wealth of information about the domain name aftermarket. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/02/04/sedo-releases-2008-domain-name-market-study/ Malaysia.com Sells for $400,000, Live Current Cuts 38% Live Current Media today announced the sale of a domain name for gross proceeds of 500,000 CAD, or approximately $400,000 USD. Based on information including whois record changes, Domain Name Wire believes the domain name sold is Malaysia.com. Malaysia.com is the only domain the company has put on the sales block that has had a whois change since then. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/02/05/malaysiacom-sells-for-400000-live-current-cuts-38/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Online ads rise to defy crisis Online advertising has defied expectations that the financial crisis would also crimp its growth, with annual spending to December up 27 per cent from a year ago to $1.7 billion. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25025679-7582,00.html Mobile Internet Devices to usurp both iPhone and netbooks Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) may supplant both smartphones, such as Apple's iPhone, and netbooks, such as the Asus Eee PC, according to a survey of US consumers released last week. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=110385& http://www.pcworld.com/article/159152/.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Free speech or cyberbullying? Katherine Evans said she was frustrated with her English teacher for ignoring her pleas for help with assignments and a brusque reproach when she missed class to attend a school blood drive. http://nytimes.com/2009/02/08/us/08cyberbully.html http://iht.com/articles/2009/02/08/america/08cyberbully.php US teen accused of 'Facebook sex assaults' An 18-year-old US student has been accused of posing as a girl on Facebook, tricking at least 31 male classmates into sending him naked photos of themselves and then blackmailing some for sex acts. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/facebook/4523997/US-teen-accused-of-Facebook-sex-assaults.html Australians ditch MySpace for Facebook Facebook turns five this week as new figures reveal the social network has twice as many monthly users in Australia as its nearest competitor, MySpace. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/02/05/1233423387206.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/02/05/1233423387206.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Playing violent video games has risks: study Among young college students, the frequency and type of video games played appears to parallel risky drug and alcohol use, poorer personal relationships, and low levels of self-esteem, researchers report. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE51508820090206 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Take part in the Safer Internet Day Online technologies are becoming a favourite way for young people to communicate. However, they need to be aware of the potential risks they may encounter in the online environment, and know how to deal with them. INSAFE, the network of European Safer Internet Centres, has initiated the Safer Internet Day, an annual international event that will be celebrated in 2009 for the sixth time. http://saferinternet.org/ww/en/pub/insafe/news/articles/0109/sid_announcement.htm Ridding the Internet of Child Porn: Filtering Isn't the Answer Today's op-ed in Australian IT by Bernadette McMenamin, CEO of an organization called Child Wise is naive at best, dangerous at worst. McMenamin, whose organization seeks to prevent child sexual abuse, claims that Australia's internet filtering scheme is the solution to preventing child pornography on the Internet. She argues that ISP-level filtering is one part of a variety of efforts to curb child sexual abuse. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jillian-york/ridding-the-internet-of-c_b_164700.html au: Blanket ban on the internet a folly Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi says no one has been able to explain how ISP filtering will work: To some, censorship is seen as a powerful example of the loss of personal freedom and a step toward totalitarianism. Others see it as a necessary part of protecting the values that have provided the moral foundation to our society for generations. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25016044-5013046,00.html Why Australia needs to trial net filters For over 25 years I have worked in Australia and overseas to prevent the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. One of the most horrendous developments that we have experienced in the last 15 years is the dramatic explosion in the global trade of child sexual abuse images on the internet. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25010836-5013046,00.html au: Top MySpace Cyber Bullying Safety Tips To celebrate ACMA?s (Australian Communications and Media Authority) ?Safer Internet Day? on 9 February 2009, MySpace Australia has launched new cyber bullying safety tips and announced a partnership with Girlfriend Magazine and Boost Mobile to promote a new online ?Code of Conduct: ?Untag, Block, Delete?? to combat cyber bullying. http://au.christiantoday.com/article/top-myspace-cyber-bullying-safety-tips/5351.htm ACMA rolls out cybersafety professional development program for educators [news release] The Australian Communications and Media Authority has started the national roll-out of Cybersafety Outreach ? Professional Development for Educators?its national cybersafety program designed for primary and secondary level educators. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311602 New Zealand asks ISPs to censor child porn New Zealand will be asking its ISPs to start blocking some sites, but its plan is far less ambitious than Australia's. ISPs are requested to start using a government-provided blacklist of 7,000 sites in order to crack down on access to child pornography. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/02/new-zealand-asks-isps-to-censor-child-porn.ars New Zealand bolts net filtering regime into place If you thought that net filtering and grandiose firewalls were the exclusive preserve of West Island (or "Australia", as the locals like to call it), think again. New Zealand is showing that it, too, is ready to play its part in the great Antipodean censorship stakes. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/06/nz_web_filtering/ Exposed: teens take to sexting Though youth is fleeting, images sent on a mobile phone or posted online may not be, especially if they're naughty. Teenagers' habit of distributing nude self-portraits electronically - often called "sexting" if it's done by mobile phone - has parents and school administrators worried. Some prosecutors have begun charging teens who send and receive such images with child pornography and other serious felonies. But is that the best way to handle it? http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/02/05/1233423389430.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/02/05/1233423389430.html ca: Police battle the scourge of child porn suspects Police battling the scourge of child pornography are busting more and more people for trading in the horrific images and while there are tens of thousands of known suspects, Canadian authorities lament they don't have the time or resources to investigate them all. http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/02/04/8267606-cp.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Digital Pirates Winning Battle With Studios On the day last July when ?The Dark Knight? arrived in theaters, Warner Brothers was ready with an ambitious antipiracy campaign that involved months of planning and steps to monitor each physical copy of the film. http://nytimes.com/2009/02/05/business/media/05piracy.html http://iht.com/articles/2009/02/05/business/05piracy.php au: Opening salvos in landmark piracy case In a landmark case that could stop pirates in their tracks, leading ISP iiNet has formally defended itself against claims by movie studios that it willingly permitted customers to download movies illegally. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/02/06/1233423481609.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/02/06/1233423481609.html iiNet vs AFACT: Battlelines drawn In a hearing today, iiNet laid out the issues on which it will fight the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft, and those it will concede. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/iiNet-vs-AFACT-Battlelines-drawn/0,130061791,339294812,00.htm iiNet prepares its defence in copyright infringement case iiNet will lodge its defence in the Federal Court today amid claims it has infringed the copyrighted material of leading film studios and the Seven Network. http://computerworld.com.au/article/275597/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/275597/ Norway Drops Apple iTunes Complaint A Norwegian consumer watchdog group has dropped its complaint against Apple's iTunes, which the agency said unfairly tied the music purchased through the online store to the iPod player. http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/music/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=213300804 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Mobile groups in final battle against charge cuts Europe's biggest mobile phone operators will today launch a last-ditch effort to persuade the European commission to scrap plans to force them to slash the charges they make for connecting calls to their networks. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/feb/05/mobile-phone-charges-telecoms Exploding mobile phone kills man in China A man has died after his mobile phone exploded, bursting an artery in his neck, it has been reported. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/4452360/Exploding-mobile-phone-kills-man-in-China.html Afghan mobile phone firm tops 3 million users Mobile banking and tapping younger markets have boosted one of Afghanistan's largest telecoms firm's customers by more than 1 million people in the last six months alone, the company said on Thursday. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL285366.htm North Korean 3G service attracts 6,000 in 2 weeks [IDG] Koryolink, the North Korean 3G cellular network established in mid-December by Egypt's Orascom Telecom, has attracted several thousand subscribers in the first two weeks since it began accepting applications in January. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/020509-north-korean-3g-service-attracts.html Study: consumers likely to greet femtocells with yawns Femtocells are a popular idea for solving the problems associated with using mobile phones indoors, but a new study indicates that the solution faces a number of barriers in the US. http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2009/02/study-consumers-likely-to-greet-femtocells-with-yawns.ars au: Draft code for mobile premium services In brief: Communications Alliance recently released a draft industry code of practice for mobile premium services that proposes stricter standards for advertising and service. The draft code aims to ensure consumers can give informed consent when purchasing mobile premium services. http://www.aar.com.au/pubs/cmt/focmtfeb09.htm Google and Amazon to Put More Books on Cellphones More electronic books are coming to mobile phones. In a move that could bolster the growing popularity of e-books, Google said Thursday that the 1.5 million public domain books it had scanned and made available free on PCs were now accessible on mobile devices like the iPhone and the T-Mobile G1. http://nytimes.com/2009/02/06/technology/internet/06google.html http://iht.com/articles/2009/02/06/technology/06google.php ********************** SPAM ********************** More Internet spam in January: MessageLabs Global Internet spam levels rose 4.9 per cent in January this year since December 2008 to 74.6 per cent, according to the MessageLabs Intelligence Report. This is the proportion of e-mail that was blocked as spam by the tech firm's e-mail protect services. http://mis-asia.com/news/articles/more-internet-spam-in-january-messagelabs http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/275585/porn_site_feud_spawns_new_dns_attack http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/020609-more-internet-spam-in-january.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/159144/.html Spammers recover after McColo setback It has taken spammers just two months to recover from the shutdown of the website responsible for sending out most of the spam on the internet. http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/02/06/234688/spammers-recover-after-mccolo-setback.htm ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** The ?7 laptop that wasn't From the start, it sounded too good to be true. A laptop for just 500 rupees (?7). Officials were adamant. The 10in by 5in hand-held device had been touted as a solution to helping hundreds of thousands of students across India to access the internet. "Once the testing is over, the computers will be made available on a commercial basis," proclaimed the Indian government's Higher Education Secretary, R P Agrawal. "The target is to make it available in six months' time." http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/the-1637-laptop-that-wasnt-1547674.html OLPC to laptop makers: Use our design The One Laptop per Child initiative seems to have found that imitation isn't simply a form of flattery, it's grounds for a new business model. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10159166-92.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** The fog of cyberwar As Kyrgyzstan reels from a sustained cyberattack, Danny Bradbury asks whether it was a show of strength from Russia, or whether the perpetrators are closer to home http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/feb/05/kyrgyzstan-cyberattack-internet-access au: ANZ internet banking customers hit by cybercriminals ANZ customers have been targeted by a computer virus, prompting an urgent email warning from the bank. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/05/2483496.htm Criminals target ANZ Bank portal ANZ Bank has warned customers not to surrender personal information after its online banking system was targeted by cybercriminals. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25012472-15306,00.html Aussies pirates out-sail Swedes: research More people use pirate software in Australia than in Sweden, according to a report by research firm IDC. http://computerworld.com.au/article/275758/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/275758/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/020609-aussies-pirates-out-sail-swedes.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Surveillance is 'inescapable' part of life in Britain You don't have to be paranoid any more to believe you are being watched. It is the pretence that you are unobserved that is an act of self-delusion. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2009/feb/06/lords-report-surveillance-britain Lords: rise of CCTV is threat to freedom The steady expansion of the "surveillance society" risks undermining fundamental freedoms including the right to privacy, according to a House of Lords report published today. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/feb/06/surveillance-freedom-peers 'We must protect privacy from over-zealous state' Today's far-reaching report on surveillance in Britain highlights six crucial areas where the balance between the powers to spy and privacy are under the greatest strain. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/feb/06/surveillance-privacy-dna-database Peers warn surveillance state is threat to freedom The vast growth of surveillance and data collection risks undermining freedoms vital to the British way of life, a group of eminent peers is warning today. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/peers-warn-surveillance-state-is-threat-to-freedom-1547668.html Warning over 'surveillance state' Electronic surveillance and collection of personal data are "pervasive" in British society and threaten to undermine democracy, peers have warned. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7872425.stm Google Latitude: Is the public ready for mobile tracking? Google's march into the location-aware services space attracted a considerable amount of concern over privacy when its latest project, Latitude, was unveiled. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/feb/05/google-mobilephones Privacy fears over Google tracker Google has announced a new feature that allows users to share their locations among a chosen network of friends. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7872026.stm Privacy Lobby Slams Google Latitude Google Latitude, which uses GPS to allow you to track people from your mobile phone of desktop PC, is under fire from privacy campaigners. They say that Google Latitude could be used to spy on unsuspecting users. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=110457 http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/158985/.html Google Latitude to allow you to track friends and families every move Millions of people will be able to track each and every move by friends and family through their mobile phones, thanks to a new feature launched by Google yesterday. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5662525.ece Can the all-seeing, all-knowing Google be trusted to rule the world? It has been a busy week for Google. It started last weekend, when a Google employee typed a single backslash in the wrong place at the wrong time. This act resulted in the Google website marking every page on the internet as potentially harmful. The internet was no longer a safe place. Google, the web?s gatekeepers, said so. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5678595.ece Sure, the Googlebots know your deepest secrets - but it's worth it I use Googlemail for my e-mail. As is the case for millions of others, it is the hub of my online existence. I have just sent myself an e-mail saying that I wanted to buy a new bed. Within four minutes this link appeared in the small ad box at the top of my inbox: Temperature-pedic 70% off www.eBed.com/Tempur-Pedic - Mattress Sale: Get Free Delivery, Free Pillows, No Tax & Much More. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5678743.ece Key Advertising Groups to Develop Privacy Guidelines for Online Behavioral Advertising Data Use and Collection [news release] Four leading marketing and advertising industry associations announced that they are working together to develop enhanced self-regulatory principles for online behavioral advertising in order to address privacy concerns and to increase consumers' trust and confidence in how online information is gathered and used. http://www.iab.net/insights_research/530468/iab_news/iab_news_article/634777 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** InternetNZ looks forward to fibre future [news release] InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) today responds to the announcement by Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce in respect to cancellation of the Broadband Investment Fund. Executive Director Keith Davidson says the focus is now clearly on the Ultra Fast Broadband roll-out. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/media-releases-2009/internetnz-looks-forward-to-fibre-future nz: Copyright controversy - under the bonnet of the TCF code of conduct Amidst much heated debate and controversy, Section 92A of the Copyright (New Technologies) Act finally comes into force at the end of the month. This requires that ISPs "adopt and reasonably implement a policy that provides for termination, in appropriate circumstances of the account of a repeat infringer". http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10555343 nz: Copyright code for ISPs released The Draft Code of Practice for Internet service providers (ISPs) to allow compliance with the controversial Section 92A of the Copyright Act, has been released. http://www.netguide.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=884&Itemid=16 http://www.thechannel.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=649&Itemid=34 New copyright act to hit NZ ISPs 2009 will force New Zealand's ISPs to come to grips with an amended Copyright Act, which includes a provision forcing them to disconnect customers who have allegedly infringed copyright. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/business/soa/New-copyright-act-to-hit-NZ-ISPs/0,139023166,339294778,00.htm nz: Joyce scraps $340 millon broadband investment fund Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce has made his first major decision, moving to scrap the Labour-led government?s $340 million Broadband Investment Fund (BIF). http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/joyce-gives-340-millon-broadband-investment-fund-biff-42019 ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Nigeria Overtakes South Africa in Telecoms Market Nigeria has overtaken South Africa as Africa's largest telecom market with the highest subscriber base, Dr Ernest Ndukwe, Deputy Chairman, National Communication Commission, has said. http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=134837 http://allafrica.com/stories/200902050197.html Ofcom u-turn on digital dividend Ofcom looks set to change the way it sells off the airwaves freed up by the shift to digital TV. It is planning to make a wider band of spectrum available for mobile broadband services than originally proposed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7870459.stm New Zealand govt gearing up for fast broadband rollout [sub req'd] Industry group InternetNZ welcomed the announcement saying the focus is now clearly on the 'ultra fast broadband' roll-out. http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=656508 ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** Kiwi teacher caught in global porn ring jailed A co-ed boarding school housemaster has been jailed after being caught in an international internet child porn crackdown. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10555383 Lismore man on child porn charges EXPERTS investigating a child porn case compiled a list of 89 pages of pornographic images and movies found on two computer hard drives owned by David Orams, Lismore Court has been told. http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2009/02/09/lismore-man-on-child-porn-charges/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2008 --------- 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 Make Yahoo!7 your homepage and win a trip to the Quiksilver Pro. Find out moreReceived on Sun Feb 08 2009 - 09:55:18 UTC
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