Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** IDNs on CNN - interview w/Tina Dam http://youtube.com/watch?v=TgQ16Bwj3sw au: Domain name owners take note - Official domain drop list introduced [sub req'd] http://ca.linexlegal.com/index.php?cid=561947 co: New domain opening: Melbourne IT http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/small-business/new-domain-opening-melbourne-it/story-e6frg9hf-1225857635567 New domain name market research available: Majority of Europeans know and trust .eu http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/new-domain-name-market-research-available Keyword category killer domain 'mothersday.com.au' auction [news release] http://www.drop.com.au/my_account/knowledgebase.php?action=displayarticle&id=37 .Com.au ccTLD Domain Aftermarket is Alive and Well! http://cctldinvestors.com/the-com-au-cctld-domain-aftermarket-is-alive-and-well/ Domain names auctioned http://www.insideretailing.com.au/Latest/tabid/53/ID/8088/Domain-names-auctioned.aspx ********************** REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Cybersquatting: Pits and Stops by Slahudeen Ahmed [ILI Law Review] Abstract: This article shall begin by outlining the domain name disputes and the problem of cybersquatting. The main thrust of the article shall be to consider how the authorities react to allegations of cybersquatting and attempt to analyze whether this has been sufficiently effective as far as India is concerned. First of all, the US approach and their specific Anti-cybersquatting legislation shall be discussed. Then, the dispute resolution under Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) to deal with cybersquatting cases shall be considered. The next part of the article shall look at the Indian approach of dealing with the matter. And the final part shall suggest reforms in the prevailing law regarding the issue in India. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1597866 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Accountability and Transparency Review Team ? Audio Streaming of F2F Meeting (5-6 May 2010) The first F2F meeting of the Affirmation mandated Accountability and Transparency Review Team is to be held in Marina Del Rey on Wednesday, 5 May 2010 and Thursday, 6 May 2010 ? 16.00 UTC ? 01.00 UTC. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-01may10-en.htm Who do you trust to sign the root? by Brenden Kuerbis ICANN's Trusted Community Representative (TCR) program, which proposes to distribute signing authority for the DNS root zone among representatives of the Internet community, was launched by ICANN about two weeks ago. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/4/30/4517936.html IDNs on CNN - interview w/Tina Dam CNN live news interview with Tina Dam on topic of new IDN developments at ICANN. The new development results in new extensions (such as .com, .cn (China), and .gr (Greece)) being available for users, expressed in their native languages and scripts. http://youtube.com/watch?v=TgQ16Bwj3sw ICANN May Seek Contracts with UDRP Providers What did ICANN discuss about UDRP providers during its board meeting last Thursday? Did it discuss Czech Arbitration Court using ?supplemental rules? to change the structure of UDRP, as I predicted? Did it discuss the lack of contracts with UDRP providers? http://domainnamewire.com/2010/04/29/icann-may-seek-contracts-with-udrp-providers/ ICANN and Accountability: Time to Walk the Walk by ICM Registry As the organization that oversees the Internet's domain name system, ICANN is in a unique and complex position. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100430_icann_and_accountability_time_to_walk_the_walk/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** au: Domain name owners take note - Official domain drop list introduced [sub req'd] Domain name owners take note - Official domain drop list introduced The Australian Domain Name Administrator (auDA) is changing the way in which expired and deleted .au domain names drop from the registry. The changes will come into effect on 18 April 2010 and we would recommend that all registrants of .au domain names familiarise themselves with the changes and take the appropriate steps to minimise the risks the changes may pose to their .au domain names. http://ca.linexlegal.com/index.php?cid=561947 co: New domain opening: Melbourne IT DOMAIN name registrar Melbourne IT has advised companies to prepare to secure their brand names with the re-launch of the .co domain. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/small-business/new-domain-opening-melbourne-it/story-e6frg9hf-1225857635567 New domain name market research available: Majority of Europeans know and trust .eu 81% of Europeans know what a domain name is and more than half have heard of .eu, according to the results of new market research. In addition, .eu is perceived as being innovative and trustworthy when compared to other top-level domains (TLDs). These findings were published today as part of a brand and adoption study commissioned by EURid, the registry of the .eu top-level domain. http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/new-domain-name-market-research-available Domain market in Q1: Poland is gaining on Italy A freshly published NASK report devoted to the situation on the domain market in Q1'2010 begins with information about a decreasing distance between Poland and Italy when it comes to competing for the fourth place in the ranking of EU countries with the highest number of registered domain names. http://www.nask.pl/newsID/id/630 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Warning: Why your Internet might fail on May 5 Network managers are being urged to run a series of checks on their routers and firewalls to ensure their users will still be able to connect to internet sites in the wake of a major change to the internet's domain name system next week. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/173412,warning-why-your-internet-might-fail-on-may-5.aspx DNSSEC Rollout May Cause Internet Slowdowns: Melbourne IT Exec Early next month, the world's top domain authorities, headed by ICANN, the US Government and Verisign, will complete the first phase of the rollout of Domain Name System Security Extensions across the entirety of the 13 root servers that translate user requests to corresponding websites. These larger requests, however, may not sit well with older networking equipment. http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/043010_DNSSEC_Rollout_May_Cause_Internet_Slowdowns_Melbourne_IT_Exec ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** A UDRP First? Case Filed Against Directory on a Domain Name It?s bad enough that Romantic Tours, Inc. has convinced three panels to hand over domain names based on its trademark for ?Hot Russian Brides?. Now the company has gone too far: it tried to get a domain name based on a directory on the web site. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/04/30/a-udrp-first-case-filed-against-directory-on-a-domain-name/ Typosquatters roam unchecked in India Wrongly typing out an alphabet while keying in a popular website name can actually help some people make money. Type goole.co.in instead of google.com or youube .com in place of youtube.com and you will land in a proxy site loaded with advertisement links-a phenomenon known as typosquatting, a form of cybersquatting. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/infotech/internet/Typosquatters-roam-unchecked-in-India/articleshow/5884936.cms ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** 'India yet to consider IPv6 as an option' There will be serious implications if enterprises don't migrate to IPv6 and these implications will become evident as the IPv6-only portion of the Internet begins to grow, warns John Curran, president and CEO, ARIN. http://www.ciol.com/Technology/Networking/Feature/India-yet-to-consider-IPv6-as-an-option/135614/0/ IPv6 comes calling, Is anyone there? IPv4 will deplete by early 2011, however till date, only about .01 percent of the global IPv6 addresses have been allocated. http://www.ciol.com/Technology/Networking/Feature/IPv6-comes-calling-Is-anyone-there/135653/0/ 'IPv6 roll out must go before 3G's' Vish Iyer, VP, Service Provider, Cisco India & SAARC, talks to CIOL in an exclusive interview and reasons out that it's high time for India to migrate to IPv6. Excerpts: http://www.ciol.com/Technology/Networking/Feature/IPv6-roll-out-must-go-before-3Gs/135649/0/ ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Keyword category killer domain 'mothersday.com.au' auction [news release] Drop.com.au, an Australian domain registrar and auction provider, today announced their auction now open for the domain names ?mothersday.com.au? (starting price AUD$7,500), and ?yes.com.au? (starting price AUD$20,000) as well as more than 50 more premium com.au and net.au domain names. http://www.drop.com.au/my_account/knowledgebase.php?action=displayarticle&id=37 .Com.au ccTLD Domain Aftermarket is Alive and Well! The Australian .Com.au domain aftermarket has not been around for very long, less than 2 years now in fact. But since then there have been three major players in the drop catching game that have proven very popular. http://cctldinvestors.com/the-com-au-cctld-domain-aftermarket-is-alive-and-well/ Domain names auctioned Australian domain registrar and auction provider, Drop.com.au, has opened auction for the domain names ?mothersday.com.au? (starting price AUD$7,500), and ?yes.com.au? (starting price AUD$20,000) as well as more than 50 more premium com.au and net.au domain names. http://www.insideretailing.com.au/Latest/tabid/53/ID/8088/Domain-names-auctioned.aspx New Developments in Sex.com Case It?s a business relationship gone sour, and it doesn?t look to be getting any better. Here?s a recap in the case of Sex.com owner Escom, LLC, as well as the latest developments in this soap opera. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/04/29/new-developments-in-sex-com-case/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** A special report on television: An interactive future - the last remaining mass medium needs to engage with its audience and target its offerings Much of this is misguided. People spend more time watching television now than they did when rappers attacked it with songs. As a thorough study by the Council for Research Excellence has shown, Americans spend more time watching television than they spend surfing the web, sending e-mails, watching DVDs, playing computer games, reading newspapers and talking on mobile phones put together. Television is not disappearing. But nor is it the only star in the sky. http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15980787 Antisocial Networking? Experts are examining whether technology alters the nature of children?s friendships ... Children used to actually talk to their friends. Those hours spent on the family princess phone or hanging out with pals in the neighborhood after school vanished long ago. But now, even chatting on cellphones or via e-mail (through which you can at least converse in paragraphs) is pass?. For today?s teenagers and preteens, the give and take of friendship seems to be conducted increasingly in the abbreviated snatches of cellphone texts and instant messages, or through the very public forum of Facebook walls and MySpace bulletins. (Andy Wilson, the 11-year-old boy involved in the banter above, has 418 Facebook friends.) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/fashion/02BEST.html China's online population passes 400 million: state media [AFP] The number of Internet users in China, already the largest in the world, has surpassed 400 million and accounts for almost a third of the country's population, state media reported Saturday. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/chinas-online-population-passes-400-million-state-media-20100501-u06x.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/chinas-online-population-passes-400-million-state-media-20100501-u06x.html Google Delivers Foreign Tongues at the Press of a Button A German scientist has developed one of the first translation programs suitable for everyday use. Sheer computing power gives the Google software surprisingly good results -- perhaps the best yet seen created by a machine. http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,692001,00.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Facebook careful about privacy guidelines at FTC Facebook officials said Wednesday that they would support Internet privacy guidelines created by the Federal Trade Commission that companies would participate in voluntarily, so as not to impede technological advancements on the Web. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2010/04/facebook_careful_about_privacy.html Hugo Ch?vez embraces Twitter to fight online 'conspiracy' Think of a camel passing through the eye of a needle, or an irresistable force meeting an immovable object, or a giant round peg in a tiny square hole, and you get the idea: Hugo Ch?vez meets Twitter. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/28/hugo-chavez-twitter-venezuela nz: Labour Party launches online, social media policy-making The Labour party has gone online to begin its push for open development of policy. As revealed in Computerworld earlier this year, the new policy development process will seek to involve as wide a public input as possible by using the party?s blog site and other web 2.0 tools such as Twitter and the wiki format. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/labour-party-launches-online-social-media-policy-making au: Twitter setting has Rudd following porn sites The Australian prime minister has been following porn sites online - all because of an inadvertent setting on his Twitter account. http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/twitter-setting-has-rudd-following-porn-sites-3506261 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Apple vs. Everybody Apple is famous for being nuts about secrecy?and for not having a sense of humor. So it was all the more entertaining when Gizmodo, a scrappy Silicon Valley tech blog, recently landed what its publisher called "the biggest tech scoop ever." It got hold of a top-secret, fourth-generation iPhone, ripped it apart, and published photos and descriptions of the device. (Guess what? It has a camera that faces you for video chatting!) Apple fumed and demanded Gizmodo return the phone, which an Apple engineer had left behind in a beer garden where he was celebrating his birthday. http://www.newsweek.com/id/237186 Green technology: Using ICTs to tackle climate change and environmental challenges OECD governments agree to improve the use of information and communication technologies to tackle environmental challenges and accelerate green growth. The OECD Council Recommendation gives a ten-point checklist for government policy, including provisions on improving environmental impacts of ICTs. http://www.oecd.org/topic/0,2686,en_2649_37441_1_1_1_1_37441,00.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ nz: Kids at risk - watchdog fingers Facebook Almost half of all New Zealanders now use online social networks - but most of us are hugely concerned about the information children are sharing on the internet. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10642414 Facebook users reject illusion of privacy As many as four out of five Facebook users accept that the site offers no privacy, unlike the majority of the general population who consider it a private space. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10642505 Social site use rising as privacy fears grow New Zealanders' use of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter is soaring amid growing public concern about privacy on the web, a new poll shows. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3648797/Social-site-use-rising-as-privacy-fears-grow nz: Think carefully about private info A new study shows there is a high level of concern over individual privacy and personal information on the internet. http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/7146765/think-carefully-about-private-info/ http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=114054 Survey finds concerns over internet privacy [NZPA] New Zealanders are more concerned about their privacy in the digital age than the Privacy Commissioner would like, although that should improve as businesses and government agencies smarten up their act. http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/7146563/survey-finds-concerns-over-internet-privacy/ Privacy concerns as social networking grows ? survey [NZPA] The safety of personal information on the internet, particularly information shared by children, is a major concern for New Zealanders, according to survey results released by the Privacy Commissioner. http://www.3news.co.nz/Privacy-concerns-as-social-networking-grows--survey/tabid/412/articleID/153810/Default.aspx?ArticleID=153810 http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/social-networking-privacy-concerns-3506238 Privacy fears spark Facebook warning Children under the age of 15 should not be allowed to use social networking sites such as Facebook without parental supervision, a top Tauranga child psychotherapist says. http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/have-your-say/news/privacy-fears-spark-facebook-warning/3913392/ New UMR Privacy Survey Results A public opinion survey released by the Privacy Commissioner today shows high levels of concern about individual privacy and risks to personal information on the internet. The UMR survey also shows a dramatic rise in New Zealanders' use of social networking. http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/new-umr-privacy-survey-results/5/47075 Survey finds concerns over internet privacy The Privacy Commissioner says a public opinion survey shows high levels of concern about individual privacy and risks to personal information on the internet. http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2010/05/03/124803583fb8 nz: New UMR Privacy Survey Results [news release] A public opinion survey released by the Privacy Commissioner today shows high levels of concern about individual privacy and risks to personal information on the internet. The UMR survey also shows a dramatic rise in New Zealanders' use of social networking. http://www.privacy.org.nz/media-release-new-umr-privacy-survey-results/ nz: Innocent youngsters' use of Facebook concerns principals Schoolchildren as young as 10 are becoming the targets of identity theft on Facebook. Taranaki principals say the theft is but one of a growing number of problems associated with very young children using the social networking site. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3641624/Innocent-youngsters-use-of-Facebook-concerns-principals us: Rockefeller: COPPA Should Be Updated As the FTC weighs whether to update its rule implementing a law aimed at protecting children's privacy online, Senate Commerce Chairman John (Jay) Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said Thursday that he believes Congress may need to weigh in with possible changes to reflect new technologies such as mobile broadband. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/04/rockefeller-coppa-should-be-up.php Senators: 'Net privacy law for children in need of overhaul Speaking before a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Chair Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) warned that Congress needs to take a "hard look" at whether the nation's privacy law for children on Internet sites "should be updated to cover new kinds of information and new businesses." http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/04/senators-net-privacy-law-for-children-in-need-of-overhaul.ars Child porn 'ranking sites' targeted [Kyodo News] Tokyo police on Friday asked four Internet site operators to delete so-called ranking sites that could guide Web surfers to child pornography. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100501a9.html http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/4-internet-sit-operators-asked-to-delete-child-porn-ranking-sites au: Software beats bullies as Brisbane IT firm ships SafeChat system QUEENSLAND could soon be exporting tens of millions of dollars worth of hi-tech equipment to combat cyber-bullying in schools. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/features/software-beats-bullies-as-brisbane-it-firm-ships-safechat-system/story-fn50ufcf-1225860800935 Australische Webfilter-Pl?ne liegen vorerst auf Eis Die australische Regierung wird bis Juni keinen Gesetzesentwurf f?r die Blockade von Webseiten mit kinderpornografischen oder zu Gewalt aufrufenden Inhalten vorlegen. Dies erkl?rte eine Sprecherin des f?r Breitband, Kommunikation und Digitale ?konomie zust?ndigen Ministers, Stephen Conroy, gegen?ber australischen Medien. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Australische-Webfilter-Plaene-liegen-vorerst-auf-Eis-990852.html ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** How the Destinies of Motorola and Palm Grew Apart For much of this decade, the fates of Palm and Motorola were intertwined. Both were early innovators in the mobile phone industry, but neither had had a hit in years. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/technology/30moto.html Will Other Bidders Emerge for Palm? As my colleague Ashlee Vance and I reported on Wednesday, Palm may not have been able to stay afloat in the smartphone industry as a standalone company. But the company has a strong trump card to keep it from going under entirely. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/will-other-bidders-emerge-for-palm-2/ HP's Palm purchase: the analysis Was it a good idea for Hewlett-Packard, the world's biggest computer company, to buy Palm ? which now specialises in mobile phones ? for $1.2bn? http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/apr/29/hp-buys-palm-analysis Did HP buy Palm just for the patents? OPINION: It has been a long time since handheld-computer pioneer Palm set the consumer or stock markets alight, yet Hewlett-Packard was prepared this week to pay $1.2 billion for it. In cash. http://out-law.com/page-10979 Android lifts UK market share to almost 20% Google's Android mobile phone platform seems to be taking off in the UK, with sales of mobile phones using the software platform increasing fourfold in the past month, according to new figures from retail watcher GfK. Almost one in every five smartphones now sold in the UK is Android. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/apr/30/android-google-uk-market-share Audiences, and Hollywood, Flock to Smartphones It might be hard to imagine watching ?The Office? on a screen no bigger than a business card. But tens of thousands of people ? by the most conservative estimate ? are already doing just that. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/business/media/03mobile.html RIM breaks into top 5 in surging phone market Blackberry maker Research in Motion broke into the top five cellphone makers in January-March for the first time, helped by 50 percent growth in the global smartphone market. The global handset market has been dominated by five major players -- Nokia, Samsung, LG Electronics, Motorola and Sony Ericsson -- for the last five years. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE63T2FA20100430 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-48121120100430 ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** One Laptop per Child targets East Africa The group behind the "$100 laptop" has signed a deal which it hopes will deliver low cost computers to every primary school child in East Africa. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10091177.stm ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Google image search results do not infringe copyright, says German court Google does not infringe copyright when it displays thumbnail previews of pictures from other people's websites, the German Federal Supreme Court has ruled. http://out-law.com/page-10980 Future EU Research: IT Security Priorities Identified -Always Online Availability in Focus [news release] The EU?s ?cyber security? Agency ENISA- The European Network and Information Security Agency - has launched a new report concluding that the EU should focus its future IT security research on five areas. http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/future-eu-research-it-security-priorities-identified-always-online-availability-in-focus Cyberattacks: Washington is hyping the threat to justify regulating the Internet Networks have been under attack -- and successfully handled by operators -- as long as they?ve been around. Be wary of calls for more government supervision of the Internet. http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0429/Cyberattacks-Washington-is-hyping-the-threat-to-justify-regulating-the-Internet http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100429/cm_csm/297733_1 us: Rockefeller seeks to reassure on cybersecurity bill Senate Commerce Chairman John (Jay) Rockefeller, D-W.Va., Thursday attempted to assuage industry concerns over the scope of his panel's cybersecurity bill, saying the legislation does not seek to give the government new emergency powers or the authority to dictate business operations. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100429_6545.php http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/04/rockefeller-seeks-to-reassure.php ************************** PRIVACY ************************** New Questions Over Google's Street View in Germany Google?s plan to offer Street View photo mapping in Germany, which has bumped up against the country?s strict privacy laws, has come in for renewed criticism after regulators learned that the company, a search engine giant, was also archiving the locations of household wireless networks. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/technology/30google.html Google, Germany bury hatchet over 'Street View' [AFP] Germany said Friday that Google had agreed to address thorny privacy concerns before launching its Street View navigation service in the country, ending a row between the firm and Berlin. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/google-germany-bury-hatchet-over-street-view-20100501-tznd.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/google-germany-bury-hatchet-over-street-view-20100501-tznd.html Privacy Concerns Limit Online Ads, Study Says Privacy advocates have had an impact on Madison Avenue after all, according to a new study. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/privacy-concerns-limit-online-ads-study-says/ us: Sen. Schumer, You Cannot Be Serious I try not to lard this blog with too much personal opinion but after reading the thousandth news article about Sen. Charles Schumer's rousing call for the Federal Trade Commission to write guidlines on privacy in social networks, I have to say, in the words of my boyhood hero John McEnroe, "You cannot be serious." Schumer is asking the FTC to do his job for him. Surely Schumer -- who has been in Congress since 1991 and in the Senate since 1999 -- knows that the FTC's authority to regulate online privacy is on very shaky and politically charged ground. At a minimum, he knows that Congress has failed to act, despite calls for federal online privacy legislation for over a decade. http://pblog.bna.com/techlaw/2010/04/sen-schumer-you-cannot-be-serious.html Google's Buzz 'in step with EU privacy rules' The European Commission has said that Google's Buzz is in line with the bloc's data protection guidelines, while 10 national regulators from Canada to the UK are demanding that Google must change the privacy controls of the social networking site. http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/googles-buzz-step-eu-privacy-rules-news-473676 ca: Privacy Commissioner hosts consumer privacy consultation event The Privacy Commissioner of Canada is hosting a series of consultations with Canadians on issues that are likely to have a serious impact on the privacy of consumers, now and in the near future. http://www.priv.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2010/ma_100427_e.cfm ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** The Web Doesn't Spread Freedom The revolution wasn't digitized?because autocrats found ways to control the internet, rather than be controlled by it. http://www.newsweek.com/id/237261 China Passes Tighter Information Law China?s legislature has imposed tighter requirements on Web and telecommunications companies to shield the nation?s state secrets, which are often defined as including a broad array of information the authorities deem detrimental to security. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/world/asia/30leaks.html Editorial: Google and Government Monitoring Governments across the globe are quietly asking tech companies to take down material they do not like, and to provide data about their users. Google took a welcome step toward transparency last week when it unveiled a new tool that reports on both of these kinds of requests. It is not perfect, but it should promote a more informed discussion about government monitoring of the Internet. We hope other companies follow suit. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/opinion/02sun3.html Censorship, sexuality and the internet [news release] Put sex and new technology together and you?ll always get waves. Victorian societies were scandalised by the arrival of the telephone because women ?who were chaperoned at all times? could potentially talk with suitors in private. http://www.apc.org/en/node/10262/ au: 'Racist' Aussie video pulled from YouTube The authors of an offensive YouTube video which depicted Australian cult hero Nic Naitanui as a native tribesman who speaks in clicks have publicly apologised after axing their video from the internet. http://www.smh.com.au/wa-news/racist-naitanui-tribesman-video-pulled-from-youtube-20100429-tw3u.html http://www.theage.com.au/wa-news/racist-naitanui-tribesman-video-pulled-from-youtube-20100429-tw3u.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/wa-news/racist-naitanui-tribesman-video-pulled-from-youtube-20100429-tw3u.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3650545/Racist-Aussie-video-pulled-from-YouTube ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** The Internet Helps Build Democracies The revolts in Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Burma, Xinjiang, and Iran could never have happened without the web. http://www.newsweek.com/id/237251 Australia to sign global treaty to combat cybercrime Australia will finally sign up to a global treaty aimed at fighting fraud and other offences committed using the internet such as computer hacking, child pornography and copyright infringement. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/australia-to-sign-global-treaty-to-combat-cybercrime/story-e6frgakx-1225861316284 Australia to join European Cybercrime Convention The Federal Government has announced its intention to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/345086/australia_join_european_cybercrime_convention/ Australia to sign cybercrime treaty The Federal Government on Friday announced it would accede to the Council of Europe's controversial Convention on Cybercrime, which US-based digital rights advocacy group Electronic Frontiers Foundation described as a door to enforcing "the world's worst internet laws" when the United States ratified the treaty in mid-2006. http://www.zdnet.com.au/australia-to-sign-cybercrime-treaty-339302803.htm Chinese Rules Said to Threaten Proprietary Information China is expected to issue regulations on Saturday requiring technology companies to disclose proprietary information like data-encryption keys and underlying software code to sell a range of security-related digital technology products to government agencies, American industry officials said on Friday. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/01/business/global/01yuan.html NZ Law Commission downplays fears of secret searches: Search and Surveillance bill goes under scrutiny Online search powers included in a new Search and Surveillance Bill have been misconstrued by critics, according to the Law Commission. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/law-commission-downplays-fears-of-secret-searches ACTA to spur online content deals: law professor With the shadow of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) hanging over the local Internet industry, now is the time for ISPs to strike commercial agreements with content providers, rendering the anti-piracy treaty superfluous, Professor of Law and Director of the UTS Communications Law Centre, Michael Fraser, has argued. Speaking to Computerworld Australia Fraser said both ISPs and content providers were increasingly realising that a commercial, rather than legal, resolution to the issue of piracy online was preferable. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/acta-to-spur-online-content-deals-law-professor http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/042910-acta-to-spur-online-content.html ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Apple are Appholes Microsoft was supposed to be the evil one, but now Apple is busting down doors in Palo Alto while Bill Gates rids the world of mosquitoes. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-28-2010/appholes Microsoft echoes Apple view on Adobe's Flash Microsoft Corp joined archrival Apple Inc in criticising Adobe Systems Inc's widely used Flash multimedia software, creating a rare bond among the two computing giants. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE63T49R20100430 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-48141720100430 Microsoft: we don't like Flash either Microsoft has joined archrival Apple in criticising Adobe Systems' widely used Flash multimedia software, creating a rare bond among the two computing giants. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/microsoft-we-dont-like-flash-either-20100503-u2bk.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/microsoft-we-dont-like-flash-either-20100503-u2bk.html Microsoft says IE9 will only support H.264 for video Microsoft is supporting H.264 in IE9 but not its own system, VC-1, or the open source Ogg Theora. It will continue to not support Adobe Flash, though you can expect it to support its own rival system, Silverlight. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/apr/30/microsoft-ie9-html5-video Apple's Chief Makes Case Against Flash Steven P. Jobs, Apple?s chief executive, posted a 1,700-word letter on Apple?s Web site on Thursday, explaining the company?s decision not to allow the multimedia software Adobe Flash on Apple?s mobile devices, including the iPhone and iPad. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/technology/30apple.html Apple boss Steve Jobs explains ban on Flash Steve Jobs has used an open letter to defend Apple's decision not to allow Flash on many of the firm's products. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10092298.stm Adobe confirms plans to move away from Apple Adobe has posted a short response to the letter Apple boss Steve Jobs has written about Flash technology. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10093314.stm Steve Jobs doesn't like Adobe Flash Apple's Web site features the latest open letter from company founder and chief executive Steve Jobs -- this time, an extended critique of Adobe Flash, which Apple refuses to allow on its iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2010/04/steve_jobs_doesnt_like_adobe_f.html Adobe 'shifting focus' from Apple In response to Apple CEO Steve Jobs' explanation on why his company refuses to let Adobe Systems' Flash Player on his company's iPhone, Adobe's chief technology officer sounded an upbeat tone and said the company was moving on without Apple. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20003836-37.html Thoughts From Steve Jobs on Flash It?s no secret that Steven P. Jobs, Apple?s chief executive, is secretive. And although he seems to have opened up a little lately, answering e-mail messages from Apple devotees with one word e-mail replies, on Thursday, he shared 1,700 words in a post on Apple?s site. The post, ?Thoughts on Flash,? addresses the debate over why the iPad ? and other mobile Apple products ? do not allow the use of the multimedia software Adobe Flash, which is behind millions of graphics and advertisements on Web sites worldwide. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/thoughts-from-steve-jobs-on-flash/ Steve Jobs turns to megaphone diplomacy in attack on Adobe Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, has declared war on rival Adobe with a scathing attack on its Flash video programming technology. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article7112201.ece More on Craigslist and Its Adult Services Ads As I wrote in The New York Times on Monday, Craigslist, the largest classified advertising Web site in the United States, is making a lot of money from its sex adverisements. What?s not exactly clear is what the company is doing with the money. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/more-on-craigslist-and-its-adult-services-ads/ ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** nz: 300Mbps proven over copper lines Telecom's technology partner Alcatel-Lucent has pushed the limits of copper-based broadband further, demonstrating at Bell Labs in the United States that it can deliver download speeds of 300 megabits per second over 400-metre-long copper phone lines. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3648681/300Mbps-proven-over-copper-lines au: Bandwidth demand to reach 1Gbps by 2020: NBN Co CEO Fixed bandwidth speed demands will reach one gigabit per second (Gbps) by 2020, according to NBN Co chief executive officer Mike Quigley. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/344966/bandwidth_demand_reach_1gbps_by_2020_nbn_co_ceo/ India Tells Mobile Firms to Delay Deals for Chinese Telecom Equipment Worried about reports of Chinese hackers and spying, the Indian government has effectively barred local mobile phone operators from making deals with Chinese telecommunications manufacturers, according to the head of India?s main cellular industry trade group. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/01/business/global/01delhi.html India bans Chinese telecoms imports The Indian government is blocking purchases of telecoms equipment from Chinese vendors on national security grounds, ratcheting up trade tensions between Asia?s fastest-growing large economies. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6e5f923a-53b8-11df-aba0-00144feab49a.html au: Quantity, not speed, is web nirvana SELF-CONFESSED geek Avi Miller says getting the internet at 100 megabits per second is not necessary but is a wonderful indulgence. http://www.theage.com.au/business/quantity-not-speed-is-web-nirvana-20100430-tzgl.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** us: Porn trader had 'godlike status' [The Dominion Post] Seconds before he could pull the plug and hide millions of pornographic images behind a complex web of codes, the downfall of Daniel Jess Moore began. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/3646257/Porn-trader-had-godlike-status nz: Manager of child porn network jailed A 33-year-old Wellington sickness beneficiary was sentenced today to 4? years' jail for running an international child pornography network described as unprecedented in New Zealand in terms of its scale and degree or organisation. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/104010/manager-child-porn-network-jailed au/ca: Australian to be jailed for luring girl over net An Australian man will be jailed in Canada for using the internet to lure a 14-year-old girl and trying to sexually assault her. http://www.smh.com.au/world/australian-to-be-jailed-for-luring-girl-over-net-20100501-u0ej.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2010 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au web: http://davidgoldstein.tel/ http://goldsteinreport.com/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim FlanneryReceived on Mon May 03 2010 - 00:12:00 UTC
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